Openai has announced Nextgenai, a new consortium that brings together 15 major research institutions to drive the role of AI in education and research. Bolstered by $50 million grants, computational resources and API access, the initiative is Openai’s latest move to deepen relationships with academia, separate and accelerate breakthroughs that don’t happen quickly.
In a post in X, Openai said Nextgenai is “the first consortium to integrate 15 major institutions using AI to advance research and education.”
Introducing Nextgenai – Use AI to integrate 15 major institutions to advance research and education, established with $50 million in funding and tools from Openai. https://t.co/6rybrcjvgg
– Openai Newsroom (@openainewsroom) March 4, 2025
Nextgenai: Openai forces a $50 million consortium of 15 top institutions to revolutionize research and education using AI
“Today, we are launching Nextgenai, the first consortium with 15 major research institutes dedicated to using AI to accelerate research breakthroughs and transforming education,” Open announced on its website.
AI meets academia
The consortium includes heavyweights such as Harvard, MIT, Oxford and Duke, along with institutions such as Howard University, the California State University System and the Boston Public Library. Each partner has adopted a different approach to AI research, such as improving healthcare, refinement of educational tools, or experimenting with new scientific methods.
At Ohio State, AI is already shaping areas such as digital health, advanced therapies and agriculture. Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital are using Nextgenai resources to accelerate the diagnosis of rare diseases, while further aligning AI-driven medical decisions with human judgments. Duke University focuses on the science behind science. This will guide you where AI can bring the biggest breakthrough.
Ohio’s Peter J. Mohler calls the partnership an opportunity to “promote more groundbreaking discoveries” in medicine, manufacturing and computing.
Teaching AI literacy
Beyond the research, Nextgenai focuses on preparing students to work with AI. Texas A&M has launched an AI literacy initiative to provide students with practical experience in generative models. MIT students have direct access to Openai’s tools to train and refine their own models. Howard University plans to weave AI into its curriculum while testing new teaching methods and improving school operations.
Dr. Robert H. Bishop of Texas A&M considers the initiative as a way to “empower students, researchers, and the broader academic community” with generator AI skills.
AI-powered universities and libraries
Some institutions apply AI to long-standing academic challenges. The Bodleian Library in Oxford digitizes rare manuscripts and uses Openai’s tools to transcribe them, allowing scholars to instantly search for texts from centuries ago. While the University of Mississippi is exploring the role of AI in education and student services, the Boston Public Library is committed to making public domain materials more accessible through AI-driven organizations and search tools.
Anne Trefeten of Oxford sees the collaboration as a way to “expand AI capabilities and promote skill development.”
Strengthening connections between academic and industry
Brad LightCap, Chief Operating Officer at Openai, noted that advances in AI are always linked to academic research. He thinks of Nextgenai as a way to maintain its momentum while ensuring the benefits of AI reach more people in education, medicine and research.
The initiative is based on Openai’s previous education promotion, including the launch of ChatGpt EDU in May 2024, providing more broad access to AI tools for universities. Nextgenai is taking it a step further by fostering new innovations in direct funding and technical support to institutions.
For Openai, this is more than research. This is to ensure that students, scientists and educators are not left behind by the rapid evolution of AI. The company says it will continue to expand its initiative based on what works as more updates will occur as partners continue to push boundaries.
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