OpenAI expands AI reach with $50M NextGenAI partnership featuring Oxford, Harvard, and MIT

OpenAI has launched NextGenAI, a consortium of 15 research institutions that will integrate AI into education and accelerate scientific discoveries.

The initiative will provide $50 million in research grants, compute funding, and API access to support students, educators, and researchers working on AI-driven advancements in fields such as healthcare, engineering, and digital humanities.

The founding institutions include Harvard University, MIT, Duke University, Oxford University, Texas A&M University, Howard University, and The Ohio State University, alongside Boston Children’s Hospital and the Boston Public Library. Through NextGenAI, OpenAI aims to expand AI fluency across academic institutions and accelerate research breakthroughs in fields such as healthcare, engineering, and digital humanities.

Brad Lightcap, COO of OpenAI, emphasized the importance of academic partnerships in advancing AI:

“The field of AI wouldn’t be where it is today without decades of work in the academic community, and continued collaboration is essential to build AI that benefits everyone. The NextGenAI Initiative will accelerate research progress and catalyze a new generation of institutions equipped to harness the transformative power of AI.”

Oxford University expands AI capabilities

As part of NextGenAI, Oxford University will expand its AI research and education capabilities through multiple initiatives, including research funding, the rollout of AI-powered tools, and a digitization project at the Bodleian Libraries.

A five-year collaboration with OpenAI will provide Oxford researchers with access to OpenAI’s latest models, including o1 and 4o, to accelerate research in fields such as healthcare and climate change. The initiative will also support the university’s AI & Machine Learning Competency Centre, which is working to integrate AI into teaching and academic operations.

Anne Trefethen, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Digital at Oxford University, said:

“This new collaboration marks an exciting step forward, offering fresh opportunities to enrich our research, expand our AI capabilities, and foster skill development. By working together, we can learn from one another, advancing the frontiers of artificial intelligence, understanding its impact on education, and unlocking its vast potential for the benefit of our university community and beyond.”

Bodleian libraries to digitize rare collections with AI

Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries will lead a pilot project to digitize public domain materials, making previously inaccessible collections available for students and researchers worldwide. One of the first collections to be digitized includes 3,500 global dissertations from 1498 to 1884. The project is part of the Future Bodleian initiative, which explores how AI can enhance access to historical texts.

Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s Librarian and Head of Gardens, Libraries and Museums at Oxford, said:

“The Bodleian’s mission is to acquire, preserve, and make available knowledge for the benefit of our students, researchers, and the wider public. Over the centuries, we have constantly sought new ways to take this mission forward, and in recent years, we have been an innovator in the use of technology. This initiative with OpenAI comes as part of this long tradition, as part of our Future Bodleian initiative.”

The project aligns with OpenAI’s broader effort to reimagine how AI can be used in universities and libraries, a focus shared by Sciences Po, which is exploring AI-driven research tools, and The Ohio State University, which is leveraging AI for advancements in fields such as healthcare, energy, and agriculture.

AI tools for research and teaching

Oxford University will also introduce ChatGPT Edu, OpenAI’s educational AI platform, to 3,000 academics and staff. The tool, which was successfully tested in a 500-user pilot, will support academic research, administration, and teaching by offering AI-assisted summarization, ideation, and research capabilities.

Elsewhere, Texas A&M University is using OpenAI’s NextGenAI resources to power its Generative AI Literacy Initiative, providing hands-on training for students and educators. MIT faculty and students will gain access to OpenAI’s API and compute funding to develop their own AI models, creating new applications for research and industry.

Dr. Robert H. Bishop, Vice Chancellor and Dean of the College of Engineering, Texas A&M University added:

“We look forward to collaborating with OpenAI, whose support will enable us to empower our students, researchers, and the broader academic community with cutting-edge knowledge and skills in the rapidly evolving field of generative artificial intelligence.”

The University of Mississippi is incorporating AI into its research, teaching, and student services, while Boston Public Library is leveraging AI to improve access to public domain materials and digitized historical records.

At Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital, researchers are using OpenAI tools and NextGenAI funding to enhance medical diagnostics, particularly for rare orphan diseases. By leveraging AI, they aim to significantly reduce the time it takes for patients to receive accurate diagnoses, improving early intervention and treatment outcomes. Additionally, AI will be used to refine decision-making processes in medicine, ensuring alignment with human values and ethical considerations.

At Duke University, scientists are applying AI to metascience research, identifying the fields where AI can have the greatest impact. Their work focuses on optimizing AI alignment—ensuring that AI systems function in ways that align with human intent and ethical principles. This research is expected to contribute to the development of more responsible AI models that can be effectively integrated into scientific discovery and education.

Ohio State University is leveraging AI to accelerate advancements in digital health, advanced therapeutics, manufacturing, energy, mobility, and agriculture. Researchers are also using AI to create advanced learning models that can enhance education and workforce development.

Peter J. Mohler, Executive Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge at Ohio State University, said:

“Ohio State is at the forefront of a multidisciplinary approach to the benefits of AI, significantly impacting both research and education. We are excited to join OpenAI and this elite research partnership, which will enable us to drive even more groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in medicine, manufacturing, computing, and beyond.”