May 31, 2026

Pingnan Lu for NPR

Lee Gaines here. I’m a contributing reporter for NPR, and I’m taking over the newsletter this week to talk about what happened when leaders decided to go all in on AI at the public California State University system — the largest four-year college system in the country.

In early 2025, the CSU system agreed to pay OpenAI $17 million to provide students, faculty and staff with ChatGPT Edu — a version of the company’s popular generative AI chatbot intended to be used by students and educators. The deal was part of the university system’s effort to become the first AI-powered institution of its kind.

The agreement upset some CSU students and faculty. Nevertheless, Cal State recently renewed the deal with OpenAI for another $13 million per year over the next three years.

While university leaders are spending millions on this new technology, a recent survey shows that many of its students and faculty are skeptical of the benefits of AI for education. Some, but not all, also worry about AI's effects on job security, creativity and the environment.

Here’s a sample of what I heard:

A professor at San Francisco State, part of the university system, told me she thinks “refusing this technology needs to be a position that’s on the table.”
A 30-year-old grad student studying information systems told me she uses AI regularly to help her learn faster and more efficiently. But she’s also frustrated by the occasional false information AI chatbots generate and by tech companies' use of creative work to train AI models without crediting and compensating artists.
An undergrad studying computer science at San Jose State — also part of the CSU system — told me relying on AI to help her code hampered her learning.
But a professor and director of faculty development at California State University, Chico, told me faculty must adapt in the age of AI. If they don’t, he says, they’re not doing their jobs.

What’s happening across Cal State campuses highlights a growing tension in higher ed: among those who want to integrate AI into learning; those who reject it; and those who aren’t sure what role this technology should play in education.

Thanks for reading,

— Lee Gaines, NPR contributor

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