An agentic AI tinkering lab for faculty
Bring an idea.The Grove Lab
A tinkering lab for faculty who want to understand agentic AI and what you can build with it. You submit a build idea, and the Academic Innovations Group helps you see if current agentic tools are appropriate or helpful.
The vision
A place to tinker
The Grove Lab is a tinkering lab. You submit a build idea, and the Academic Innovations Group helps you see if current agentic tools are appropriate or helpful. AIG can use agents to rapidly prototype an app for you and align that with your research or learning goals. The gallery shows what that can look like, sorted by different types of builds.
The build form is what AIG will need from you. It has examples, side-by-side comparisons from the gallery, and sample language to help you describe your idea. It can be used with or without AI-assistance, based on your preference.
Please note, these are prototypes only. They likely should not be deployed in the classroom. Most builds will require some time and may take a week or more based on resources, capacity, and complexity. AIG may also not have the ability to meet all of your requests. Review the guidelines before you submit.
What Can You Create With Agents?
An example
The Machine Before the Machine
I recently visited MOMA in New York City and took some photographs while there. I tasked Claude Code to create interactive webapps based on the photographs I took. You can explore those through this build, The Machine Before the Machine.
Marc Watkins
Explore The Machine Before the Machine (opens in a new tab)See more builds
How it works
From idea to prototype
Browse the gallery
See builds sorted by pathway. Mark the ones close to what you want; they follow you into the form.
Say your idea
Type it plainly in the "Here's my idea" box. If you choose, optional AI assistance from Jev suggests a build pathway. You can also skip AI and choose yourself.
Fill out the form
Each pathway has its own questions, an exemplar, and sample language. Skip what doesn't apply.
Download and email
Download your response and attach it to an email to mwatkins@olemiss.edu.
Build pathways
Six kinds of builds
Most ideas fit one pathway and borrow from another. Pick the one that sounds closest. Each pathway opens its own part of the form.
Before you submit
Four things to know
Prototypes only
Every build from the lab is a prototype only. It likely should not be deployed in the classroom.
A week or more
Most builds will require some time and may take a week or more based on resources, capacity, and complexity. AIG may also not have the ability to meet all of your requests.
What we won't build
There are some areas we won't support. See what we won't build.
Share it openly
You're invited to share your build openly during a forthcoming AI Institute or a meeting of the AI taskforce.
Have an idea?
Start with a few sentences. The form walks you through the rest.