Cal State Struck a Surprise Deal with OpenAI — but some Students and Faculty Refuse to Use It
Faculty and students have raised cheating and data concerns as only 0.7% of students and 16% of faculty completed voluntary training.
- Cal State's $17 million contract with OpenAI concludes in July 2026, yet the university system has not announced whether it will renew the 18-month deal providing ChatGPT Edu access across 22 campuses.
- The rollout surprised many faculty and students, prompting professors to return to in-class testing using bluebooks and scantrons to prevent cheating. Yagmur Wernimont, a sophomore at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, argued the technology is "making us dumber."
- A recent Cal State survey of over 94,000 students and employees found 52% of faculty reported AI negatively affects teaching, while 78% of participants cited ethical use as a major concern.
- Assemblymember Mike Fong introduced Assembly Bill 2392 in February to mandate AI training, while faculty at San Francisco State University petitioned Cal State Chancellor Mildred Garcia to terminate the partnership.
- Cal State Chief Information Officer Ed Clark acknowledged the criticisms as valid but emphasized universities must participate in shaping the future of these technologies rather than sitting back.
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11 Articles
Cal State struck a surprise deal with OpenAI — but some students and faculty refuse to use it
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. When California State University paid OpenAI $17 million last year to give campuses unlimited access to a high-powered educational version of ChatGPT, the goal was to help students learn to use artificial intelligence for their education and future careers. However, the announcement came as a surprise to faculty and students, who were left on their own to figure ou…
Cal Matters
Cal State struck a deal with OpenAI. Some students and faculty refuse to use it
California State University’s $17 million contract with OpenAI is up for renewal. Some say AI is crucial for the workforce. Others refuse to use it.
Cal State's deal with OpenAI draws pushback as some students, faculty resist ChatGPT
WHEN CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY paid OpenAI $17 million last year to give campuses unlimited access to a high-powered educational version of ChatGPT, the goal was to help students learn to use artificial intelligence for their education and future careers. However, the announcement came as a surprise to faculty and students, who were left on their own to figure out how to use AI ethically. Afraid students would use ChatGPT Edu to cheat, many p…
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