OpenAI Partners with California State University for Largest AI Education Deal Yet

ChatGPT comes to 500,000 new users in OpenAI's largest AI education deal yet

On Tuesday, OpenAI announced plans to introduce ChatGPT to California State University's 460,000 students and 63,000 faculty members across 23 campuses, reports Reuters. The education-focused version of the AI assistant will aim to provide students with personalized tutoring and study guides, while faculty will be able to use it for administrative work. "It is critical that the entire education ecosystem -- institutions, systems, technologists, educators, and governments -- work together to ensure that all students have access to AI and gain the skills to use it responsibly," said Leah Belsky, VP and general manager of education at OpenAI, in a statement. OpenAI began integrating ChatGPT into educational settings in 2023, despite early concerns from some schools about plagiarism and potential cheating, leading to early bans in some US school districts and universities. But over time, resistance to AI assistants softened in some educational institutions. Prior to OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT Edu in May 2024 -- a version purpose-built for academic use -- several schools had already been using ChatGPT Enterprise, including the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School (employer of frequent AI commentator Ethan Mollick), the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Oxford. Currently, the new California State partnership represents OpenAI's largest deployment yet in US higher education. The higher education market has become competitive for AI model makers, as Reuters notes. Last November, Google's DeepMind division partnered with a London university to provide AI education and mentorship to teenage students. And in January, Google invested $120 million in AI education programs and plans to introduce its Gemini model to students' school accounts. The pros and cons In the past, we've written frequently about accuracy issues with AI chatbots, such as producing confabulations -- plausible fictions -- that might lead students astray. We've also covered aforementioned concerns about cheating. Those issues remain, and relying on ChatGPT as a factual reference is still not the best idea because the service could introduce errors into academic work that might be difficult to detect. Still, some AI experts in higher education think that embracing AI is not a terrible idea. To get an "on the ground" perspective, we spoke with Ted Underwood, a professor of Information Sciences and English at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Underwood often posts on social media about the intersection of AI and higher education. He's cautiously optimistic. "AI can be genuinely useful for students and faculty, so ensuring access is a legitimate goal. But if universities outsource reasoning and writing to private firms, we may find that we've outsourced our whole raison-d'être," said Underwood in an interview with Ars. In that way, it may seem counter-intuitive for a university that teaches students how to think critically and solve problems to rely on AI models to do some of the thinking for us. However, while Underwood thinks AI can be potentially useful in education, he is also concerned about relying on proprietary closed AI models for the task. "It's probably time to start supporting open source alternatives, like Tülu 3 from Allen AI," he said. "Tülu was created by researchers who openly explained how they trained the model and what they trained it on. When models are created that way, we understand them better -- and more importantly, they become a resource that can be shared, like a library, instead of a mysterious oracle that you have to pay a fee to use. If we're trying to empower students, that's a better long-term path." For now, AI assistants are so new in the grand scheme of things that relying on early movers in the space like OpenAI makes sense as a convenience move for universities that want complete, ready-to-go commercial AI assistant solutions -- despite potential factual drawbacks. Eventually, open-weights and open source AI applications may gain more traction in higher education and give academics like Underwood the transparency they seek. As for teaching students to responsibly use AI models -- that's another issue entirely.

OpenAI Targets Higher Education in the U.S. With ChatGPT Rollout at California State University

(Reuters) - Microsoft-backed OpenAI said on Tuesday it will roll out an education-specific version of its chatbot to about 500,000 students and faculty at California State University as it looks to expand its user base in the academic sector and counter competition from rivals like Alphabet . The rollout will cover 23 campuses of the largest public university system in the United States, enabling students to access personalized tutoring and study guides through the chatbot, while the faculty will be able to use it for administrative tasks. OpenAI has been looking to integrate ChatGPT into classrooms since 2023, even as initial concerns about its potential use for cheating and plagiarism had prompted some schools to consider bans. Universities like the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Texas at Austin in the U.S., and the University of Oxford in the UK have already been using ChatGPT Enterprise, prompting OpenAI to launch ChatGPT Edu in May last year. Rival Alphabet has already been expanding into the education sector, where it has announced a $120 million investment fund for AI education programs and plans to introduce its GenAI chatbot Gemini to teen students' school-issued Google accounts. In November, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer opened London's first Google-funded AI university, which will provide older teens with access to resources in artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as mentorship and expertise from Google's AI company, DeepMind. (Reporting by Rishi Kant in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

OpenAI targets higher education in the U.S. with ChatGPT rollout at California State University

(Reuters) - Microsoft-backed OpenAI said on Tuesday it will roll out an education-specific version of its chatbot to about 500,000 students and faculty at California State University as it looks to expand its user base in the academic sector and counter competition from rivals like Alphabet . The rollout will cover 23 campuses of the largest public university system in the United States, enabling students to access personalized tutoring and study guides through the chatbot, while the faculty will be able to use it for administrative tasks. OpenAI has been looking to integrate ChatGPT into classrooms since 2023, even as initial concerns about its potential use for cheating and plagiarism had prompted some schools to consider bans. Universities like the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Texas at Austin in the U.S., and the University of Oxford in the UK have already been using ChatGPT Enterprise, prompting OpenAI to launch ChatGPT Edu in May last year. Rival Alphabet has already been expanding into the education sector, where it has announced a $120 million investment fund for AI education programs and plans to introduce its GenAI chatbot Gemini to teen students' school-issued Google accounts. In November, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer opened London's first Google-funded AI university, which will provide older teens with access to resources in artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as mentorship and expertise from Google's AI company, DeepMind. (Reporting by Rishi Kant in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

California State University to Become First AI-Powered University System in US with OpenAI

AI skills improve career prospects by over 70 percent, according to studies. The California State University system (CSU) and OpenAI have joined forces to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education by providing more than 460,000 students and over 63,000 staff and faculty with access to ChatGPT Edu, a version of ChatGPT customised for educational institutions. "It is the largest implementation of ChatGPT by any single organization or company anywhere in the world," OpenAI announced on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. Also Read: OpenAI Launches Free AI Training Course for Teachers According to the official release, system-wide access will allow CSU students to integrate AI into their studies while streamlining administrative tasks for faculty, freeing up more time for teaching and research. The deployment also aims to equip students with essential AI skills. "With a system-wide rollout across 23 campuses, CSU will become the first AI-powered university system in the United States -- and a global leader in AI and education," OpenAI highlighted. According to OpenAI, "This initiative will enhance the CSU experience and equip students with essential AI skills to succeed in an increasingly AI-literate workforce and succeed in an increasingly AI-driven US economy through AI initiatives." These include: Next-Gen Teaching and Learning: AI-driven curriculum development, personalised tutoring, and interactive study guides will enhance student engagement and support faculty. AI Coaching: A platform offering free training and certifications in AI tools to all students, faculty, and staff, promoting skill-building across the CSU system. "CSU will introduce a dedicated platform offering free training programs and certifications for all students, faculty, and staff, equipping them with the skills to effectively use AI tools like ChatGPT," OpenAI explained. AI Workforce Readiness: CSU will connect students with apprenticeship opportunities in AI-driven industries to help them enter the job market with in-demand skills. In two years after its launch, ChatGPT says it supports over 300 million weekly active users worldwide, with learning being its most popular use. "Students and lifelong learners rely on ChatGPT for tutoring, personalised access to information across different formats and languages, and the flexibility to explore any topic, anytime," OpenAI said. Also Read: Microsoft and Pearson Partner to Drive AI Skilling for the Workforce Early research suggests AI can significantly enhance educational outcomes and career readiness: Harvard researchers found that an AI-powered tutor, customised for a physics course, doubled student engagement and improved problem-solving, particularly for those with less prior knowledge. Meanwhile, a Microsoft study found that individuals with AI skills are over 70 percent more likely to be hired, highlighting the growing demand for AI proficiency in the workforce. "The CSU has long been known for our unwavering commitment to access, equity and innovation. To uphold our mission, we must ensure that our diverse students from across California and staff are 'AI-empowered' to thrive as our world evolves," said Mildred Garcia, Chancellor of the California State University. "It is critical that the entire education ecosystem -- institutions, systems, technologists, educators, and governments -- work together to ensure that all students have access to AI and gain the skills to use it responsibly," added Leah Belsky, VP and General Manager of Education at OpenAI. Also Read: Microsoft, AWS, Cognizant, and Others Join ITU AI Skills Coalition as Founding Contributors OpenAI says ChatGPT Edu was launched in May 2024 to provide universities with campus-wide access to OpenAI's latest models, enterprise-level security, and cost-effective pricing. "CSU's system-wide adoption sets a precedent for how institutions can integrate AI at scale, offering a powerful model for the future," the AI company said.

Cal State students and staff will all have access to ChatGPT Edu

Zoom in: The initiative aims to equip students with key AI skills to help them prepare and succeed in a workforce that's already becoming more AI-literate. The big picture: After initial bans of the technology, universities are now expanding AI offerings to integrate AI literacy and help students prepare for an evolving job market What they're saying: "The CSU has long been known for our unwavering commitment to access, equity and innovation. To uphold our mission, we must ensure that our diverse students from across California and staff are AI-empowered to thrive as our world evolves," Dr. Mildred García, chancellor of the California State University, said. The intrigue: The 23 campuses in the Cal State system face proposed budget cuts amounting to the loss of $375 million of state support. What to watch: CSU's adoption of AI could start a wave of wider AI adoption among universities across the U.S.