University of Colorado launches systemwide ChatGPT access
The University of Colorado has entered into an agreement with OpenAI to provide secure, institutionally controlled access to ChatGPT EDU for students, faculty and staff across all four campuses and the CU system office, university leaders announced.
Under the agreement, each campus and the system office will operate its own dedicated ChatGPT environment, which will advance equitable access to this tool while maintaining strong privacy, security and data governance standards. The agreement is renewable annually.
University officials said the initiative reflects CU’s commitment to ensuring students have equitable access to the tool and leave the university ready for the modern workforce.
“Equitable access to this emerging technology is essential for our students and employees,” said CU President Todd Saliman. “By investing at the system level, CU is helping remove barriers and ensuring that all members of our community can engage with these tools, regardless of discipline or background.”
The university’s ChatGPT EDU environments will be available to enrolled full-time and part-time students, as well as faculty and staff, using university-issued email credentials. OpenAI will not use any CU ChatGPT EDU environment or user content to train its large language models, according to the agreement.
“Our data shows that generative AI tools, particularly ChatGPT, are already widely used by CU faculty, staff and students,” said CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “But using institutional data on the public platform can expose students, faculty, staff and the university to security risks. Through this agreement, ChatGPT EDU will offer a secure, institutionally supported alternative that better protects our data and meets users where they already are.”
Before gaining access, users will complete a brief training on appropriate use, privacy considerations and best practices. Additional learning resources will be available to help users apply the tool effectively in academic, research and administrative contexts.
“Across UCCS, people are already experimenting with AI, as well as becoming proficient and expert users. Generative AI, natural language processing, machine learning and other AI tools are becoming part of how we teach, learn and work,” said UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet. “By offering a secure, institutionally supported option, we’re reducing risk to university data and meeting our faculty, staff and students where they are, while also launching UCCS into the future. This agreement empowers our community to use AI thoughtfully and responsibly.”
The decision followed recommendations from the President’s AI Working Group, a systemwide committee of faculty and staff with subject-matter expertise. The group evaluated commercial AI options using guiding principles that emphasized privacy, security, sustainability, equity and institutional benefit.
The initial year of licensing costs for 100,000 users — approximately $2 million annually — will be covered by the CU system office. Campuses will assume responsibility for their individual environments in subsequent years.
“At CU Anschutz, we’re already seeing how thoughtfully deployed AI tools can enhance patient care, expedite scientific research and enrich the educational experience,” said CU Anschutz Chancellor Don Elliman. “This program is the next step in our ongoing investment in AI, and we look forward to all it will make possible for our students, faculty and staff every day.”
University officials also acknowledged the environmental impacts associated with artificial intelligence and said CU will continue to align AI adoption with its sustainability goals, including efforts to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions across all campuses.
Use of ChatGPT EDU will not alter existing university policies, including academic freedom, student codes of conduct or data governance requirements. Faculty retain control over whether and how AI tools are used in their classrooms.
“We have a responsibility to teach our students proper and ethical uses of technology in order to position them for success in the job market,” said CU Denver Chancellor Kenneth T. Christensen. “We also have an obligation to deploy tools that help increase efficiencies for employees in their daily roles so that they have more time to enhance and elevate the educational experience of our students.”
The systemwide rollout is expected to happen on March 31, with campuses and the system office providing additional guidance to their communities as access becomes available.