The Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN), Thiruvarur, has launched a pioneering initiative that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to transform faculty member’s research work into multilingual podcasts. The AI-driven podcast is designed in a discussion format that captures the essence of the faculty’s research work. This innovative step is aimed at bridging the gap between high-level scholarly work and the broader public, ushering in a new era of accessible, inclusive, and engaging educational content.
Marking a significant milestone in the integration of technology within higher education, CUTN is among the first universities in India to use AI for converting faculty research work into audio content. These podcasts, produced in Tamil, English, and Hindi, are available on the CUTN’s official website https://cutn.ac.in/podcast/. The podcast will also be available in other vernacular languages on request. Subsequently, within a short period, the materials will be available in the CUTN library.
This initiative is not just about digitizing research but about transforming how academic knowledge is consumed. By turning research work into dynamic, easily consumable audio formats, CUTN is responding to the evolving preferences of today’s mobile-first, multitasking learners.
The vice-chancellor of CUTN Prof. M. Krishnan, said, “Our vision is to make academic research more inclusive, accessible, and dynamic. AI, when used ethically, becomes a powerful enabler of education. Each podcast episode undergoes rigorous human review. From script preparation to narration and final editing, human contributors play a central role in preserving the accuracy, tone, and context of the original research. This initiative encourages a shift from passive reading to active listening, ideal for today’s mobile learners. By offering content in three languages, CUTN is setting a benchmark in linguistic inclusivity in academia.”
Each episode is curated to maintain the integrity of the original work while ensuring it is engaging and understandable to non-specialist audiences, including the local community, in the vernacular language.
This initiative strongly resonates with the vision of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises increased accessibility, equity, and the use of technology to enhance learning outcomes. This podcast is part of CUTN’s broader mission to foster innovation in education and contribute actively to India's growth story, Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
In the future, faculty members will be able to develop content for the learning management system, which will then be published on the website.