NextGenAI is an innovative consortium launched by OpenAI in March 2025, in collaboration with 15 leading research institutions, with the goal of accelerating research advances and transforming education through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). OpenAI has committed $50 million in grants, computing funding, and access to its API to support students, educators, and researchers in pushing the boundaries of knowledge.

Among the participating institutions are the University of Michigan, Ohio State University, University of Oxford, Harvard, and MIT. These universities will use NextGenAI’s resources to integrate AI into teaching, enhance research in areas like health and climate change, and develop new AI applications for industry.

The consortium also aims to reimagine how AI can be used in libraries and other educational institutions, improving access to digitized materials and historical records.

Brad Lightcap, COO of OpenAI, emphasized the importance of academic partnerships in advancing AI, stating that ongoing collaboration is essential to building AI that benefits everyone.

“We are at a tipping point. AI won’t replace humans, but it will replace those who don’t know how to work with it.”
— Andrew Ng, Founder of DeepLearning.ai

What does this mean for your organization?

Ignoring this wave of transformation means falling behind. Training yourself, upskilling your team, and redesigning processes with AI should be a priority. The sooner you start, the greater your competitive advantage and long-term impact.

In short, NextGenAI represents a significant effort to integrate artificial intelligence into education and research, providing tools and resources that will enable academic institutions to harness the transformative power of AI for the benefit of society.