FAQ

The Hopkins AI Lab is a generative AI platform that provides members of the Johns Hopkins University and Medicine community with secure, JHED-authenticated access to multiple Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Claude through a familiar interface.

The Lab is currently available by invitation only. It will be available to the broader Hopkins community in Summer 2025.

Your chat prompts and AI-generated responses are purged after 30 days of inactivity. Please review our Data Retention Notice for more information..

The Sheridan Libraries has assembled a number of AI literacy resources. Please visit Artificial Intelligence for Research & Scholarship.

While the Hopkins AI Lab is approved for sensitive data, including PHI and PII, you must act in a manner consistent with appropriate use of PHI / PII and be a responsible steward of the data you enter into and collect from The Lab. In accordance with Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine policies, you should always minimize the amount of sensitive information used to accomplish your intended goal.

The exact file size, or context limit, varies depending on the specific implementation. Generally, files up to several MB can be processed, but larger files may need to be split or summarized.

LLM Context Limits:

• Context limits vary by model, typically ranging from about 2,000 to 32,000 tokens.
• A token is roughly 4 characters or 3/4 of a word in English.
• For example, GPT-3.5 has a limit of about 4,000 tokens, while GPT-4 can handle up to 8,000 or 32,000 tokens, depending on the version.

Longer documents may need to be summarized or split into smaller chunks. The Lab can analyze large files but may not be able to hold the entire content in its “memory” at once.

Yes, The AI Lab allows you to use two models simultaneously, compare responses from different models, and evaluate performance across various LLMs.

This feature enables you to:

• Assess model strengths and weaknesses
• Choose the best model for your specific task
• Gain deeper insights into AI capabilities

Experiment with different model combinations to enhance your AI-assisted work and research.

ChatGPT Edu is available to faculty and staff in the Whiting School of Engineering. Key differences from the Hopkins AI Lab include:

• Access to additional OpenAI models
• Ability to create and share custom GPTs or assistants with your team or department

ChatGPT Edu requires an annual subscription and does not provide access to models outside of the OpenAI portfolio. For more information about this service, please contact [email protected].

The Lab is a product governed by several organizations. To request consideration of an additional model, email [email protected]. Be sure to include your use case in your correspondence.

API access to models available within The Lab is considered on a case-by-case basis and does require a cost object. If you would like to request access, please contact us.

The product team is working to develop repeatable processes to support custom assistants. We expect this to be the focus of our efforts into 2026. Please share your use case with us to help prioritize our efforts.