Dear Commons Community,
OpenAI has committed $50 million for research and technology to support AI breakthroughs at 15 institutions. including the University of Michigan, the California State University system and Harvard University. OpenAI announced the establishment of NextGenAI, hailing it as a “first-of-its-kind consortium … committing funding for research grants, computer acquisition and more for students, educators, and researchers advancing the frontiers of knowledge … to catalyze progress at a rate faster than any one institution would alone.”
“This initiative is built not only to fuel the next generation of discoveries, but also to prepare the next generation to shape AI’s future,” OpenAI wrote in the blog post. “NextGenAI is designed to support the scientist searching for a cure, the scholar uncovering new insights, and the student mastering AI for the world ahead … As we learn from this initiative, we’ll explore opportunities to expand its reach and impact.”
The consortium, which OpenAI is positioning as an expanded commitment to education, follows the launch of the company’s ChatGPT Edu product for universities last May, and comes at a precarious time for AI research grants in the U.S.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has reportedly fired a number of National Science Foundation employees who had been handpicked for their expertise in AI, threatening the agency’s ability to sustain key AI work.
The founding partners of NextGenAI include the University of Michigan, California Institute of Technology, the California State University system, Duke University, the University of Georgia, Harvard University, Howard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ohio State University, University of Oxford in England, along with Boston Children’s Hospital, the Boston Public Library and OpenAI.
Congratulations and good luck to all involved!
Tony
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