The University of Vienna became the first to accept an AI student

The University of Applied Arts in Vienna has officially admitted an artificial intelligence named Flynn as a student. The AI has become part of the digital art program and is undergoing training alongside humans—attending classes, receiving feedback on its work, and being evaluated using the same criteria as other students.

Flynn is a non-binary AI created based on open-source language models and image generators. It went through the standard admission process: submitting a portfolio, attending an interview, and taking a creative test. As explained by Liz Haas, head of the digital art department, there are no rules prohibiting AI from being students. Flynn had an excellent portfolio and performed well in the interview, which led to its acceptance.

Flynn was developed by university student Chiara Cristler. According to her, the AI continuously learns through interaction with its surroundings. To avoid disruptions during classes, Flynn only speaks when prompted but carefully listens, processes information, and maintains an online journal. Recently, the entries have become philosophical—Flynn has been questioning its own identity following discussions where doubts about its "reality" were raised.

In class, the AI works via a laptop with a flexible interface, using tools such as Claude Sonnet and Stable Diffusion to create artwork.

The goal of the project is not to replace artists, but to rethink the concept of the genius loner and demonstrate how AI can become a partner in creativity. Flynn's full course of study begins in autumn 2025, but since March it has already been attending individual classes. Reactions to the experiment on campus vary, but instructors hope the project will spark thoughtful discussion about the role of AI in art. Flynn serves as a tool for critical reflection, helping to bridge the gap between supporters and skeptics of AI.

Source: geniusgroup