Ministry of Education’s “Libraries Have AI”: Free use of ChatGPT and Claude in libraries! Applicable time and locations—see it all at once

Generative AI is moving from work scenarios into everyday learning, but “who can use paid AI” is also gradually becoming a new gap in educational resources. The Ministry of Education will promote the “Each Library Has AI” program, and is expected to pilot it starting in this year’s fourth quarter at national libraries such as the National Central Library, the National Public Information Library, the National Taiwan Library, among others. The goal is to let the public use mainstream AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for free inside the library with just a library card.

Artificial intelligence enters education; AI equity becomes a problem

According to the MOE’s planning, each location in the first wave will install 5 AI-dedicated computers, with relevant generative AI services configured in advance to serve students and the general public. This means the libraries’ role in public services will extend beyond previously providing books, databases, and online resources, to also offering an entry point to AI tools—so users who cannot subscribe to paid versions of AI can still access digital tools at a level close to commercial standards.

According to an investigation by the MIC, the proportion of the public using “free AI” is higher than seventy percent, and the rate among student groups may be even higher. He believes some students can use “paid AI,” while other students can only use “free AI.” This is no longer just a difference in tools, but an issue of “AI equity.”

MOE Minister Zheng Yingyao said he hopes this program will create a friendlier AI learning environment through libraries, and will further expand resources to university campuses. He also noted that for the 47 national universities, if schools need help from the MOE, the MOE will be happy to cooperate with them.

MOE “Each Library Has AI” adds on to enter libraries at 47 national universities

As for funding sources, Higher Education Division Director Liao Gaoxian explained that universities that wish to participate may use existing budget allocations to cover the costs. National universities can use funding from the Higher Education Deepening Plan; private universities can allocate from the Higher Education Deepening Plan and private school award-and-supplement subsidy funds, and they can also apply for related subsidy funds from the MOE’s Department of Information and Communication Technology.

AI tools have become a new type of learning resource. In the past, differences among students may have come from cram schools, equipment, databases, or language ability; but after generative AI becomes widespread, whether users can access stronger models, longer context, and higher usage quotas may also become a new learning gap. By placing AI services into libraries, the Ministry of Education is essentially shifting AI from a personal subscription product to a form of public educational resource.

However, there are still several key areas to watch for the later rollout of “Each Library Has AI,” including whether 5 computers per location are sufficient to handle peak demand, how each library will manage usage time and account permission, whether student data and input content will involve privacy protection, and whether different AI tools will affect the scope of actual services due to licensing fees or usage terms. If it can be successfully expanded to the 47 national universities in the future, Taiwan’s university libraries may become the first public entry point for campus AI use as well—turning AI equity from a slogan into a more concrete education policy.

This article, MOE “Each Library Has AI” — libraries can use ChatGPT and Claude for free! See available time and location at a glance — first appeared on Lian News ABMedia.