OpenAI Launches ChatGPT for Universities (It's Not to Help You Cheat)

Students, teachers, and university researchers may soon have a new tool: ChatGPT EDU, which promises to assist with data analysis, document summaries, grant writing, paper grading, and more at an "affordable rate."

ChatGPT EDU is built on OpenAI's latest GPT-4o model, which offers multi-modal capabilities that can examine audio, text, and vision inputs. It promises faster responses and more lifelike spoken conversations from voices that are definitely not modeled after Scarlett Johansson. Plus, there are significantly higher messaging limits than the free version of ChatGPT, and universities can create custom GPTs that fit specific needs.

"ChatGPT Edu is designed for schools that want to deploy AI more broadly to students and their campus communities," the company explained in a blog post.

OpenAI says ChatGPT EDU offers enterprise-grade security and won't use data provided for training. That latter detail is likely an important reassurance, as the last thing researchers want is ChatGPT revealing ongoing and incomplete work to the world.

The one thing OpenAI isn't promising is assistance with assignments, which has been a point of contention at some universities. Detecting AI-written papers is difficult at best, and many tools give false positives, marking human-written text as AI. In the end, even OpenAI pulled its own AI-detection tool.

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Previously, universities like Oxford, Arizona State, and Columbia were using ChatGPT Enterprise. OpenAI said it was inspired to create an edu-level version after seeing their "success."

OpenAI also announced new discounts for nonprofits. Nonprofits can apply through the OpenAI website for access to ChatGPT Team for $20 per user per month. They can also apply for discounted enterprise pricing, though OpenAI didn't specify details.

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From nearly the moment he could spell “computer,” Josh Hendrickson has been fascinated by Windows, PCs, and the electronics that have become an integral part of life. He has worked in IT for nearly a decade, including four years spent repairing and servicing computers for Microsoft. He’s also a smart home enthusiast who built his own smart mirror with just a frame, some electronics, a Raspberry Pi, and open-source code. He previously wrote for How-To Geek, served as the Editor in Chief of Review Geek, and worked for Microsoft and the makers of UltraEdit.

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