This big university system is embracing AI. Students and faculty aren't all on board

This big university system is embracing AI. Students and faculty aren't all on board May 25, 20265:00 AM ET Lee V. Gaines Pingnan Lu for NPR Leaders of the California State University system, the CSU, want it to become the nation's first artificial intelligence-powered institution of its kind. It entered into a $17 million no-bid contract with OpenAI last year to provide students, faculty and staff with a new resource: ChatGPT Edu — a version of the popular generative AI chatbot intended for use by educational institutions. The system recently renewed that contract for another $13 million a year for the next three years. "No other university system in the U.S. or internationally is doing anything like this, not at this scale," said Mildred García, the CSU's chancellor, during a February 2025 press conference announcing the partnership. Sponsor Message But in a recent survey, majorities of its students and faculty said they were skeptical of the benefits of AI for education, and they worry about AI's impacts on job security, creativity and the environment. Learning in the age of AI Overworked and understaffed: Special ed teachers turn to AI for help Colleges across the country – from Syracuse University to Dartmouth College to the University of Minnesota – have inked similar deals with AI companies, but as the largest public four-year system in the U.S., the CSU's partnership stands out. As higher ed scrambles to figure out the benefits and harms of AI, the CSU offers an early look at what happens when an administration commits to a technology that its own community isn't convinced will improve education. What the university has to gain In December 2024, university leaders flagged a potential partnership with OpenAI as "a huge branding opp[ortunity]," according to an internal CSU planning document obtained by NPR. Ed Clark, chief information officer for the CSU's office of the chancellor, told NPR in an email that "the planning document demonstrates the extent to whi...