The California State University (CSU) has kicked off a new program aimed at offering free AI training, tools, and certifications to 460,000 students and 63,000 faculty and staff. This initiative also includes apprenticeships in AI-focused industries, all while utilizing AI to enhance research and improve teaching methods.
Rapid Growth of AI
The AI sector has seen tremendous growth in recent years, especially after the public launch of ChatGPT 3.5 in 2022, which demonstrated the ability to effectively respond to queries and streamline tasks. Unfortunately, even with substantial investments in AI development, the workforce has not matched the pace of AI adoption. CSU has found that more than half of the professionals in the AI industry are from other countries, highlighting a significant gap in workforce training within the U.S.
Customized AI Tools for Education
To address this issue, all 23 CSU campuses will offer free access to ChatGPT for Education. ChatGPT Edu, built on GPT-4o, boasts advanced features like internet browsing, data analysis, and coding capabilities. Each campus and class can develop tailored GPTs to meet their particular needs, such as tutoring students in specific subjects and analyzing research results. This AI can communicate and respond in over 50 different languages.
Training and Apprenticeship Opportunities
In addition to AI tools, free training and certifications will be available for using these tools. Faculty and staff will receive similar training to improve their research and teaching practices. Educators interested in effectively integrating ChatGPT into their classrooms can check out a book available on Amazon.
Students will also gain access to apprenticeship roles at companies utilizing AI before they graduate, making them attractive candidates in the competitive AI job market. CSU highlights that of the top 50 AI firms, 30 are based in California, including giants like OpenAI, Meta, Google, and xAI. For those outside CSU who want to catch up, there’s a book on Amazon that covers the basics of using ChatGPT.
Commitment to Privacy and Security
For privacy reasons, CSU will not use its data to train OpenAI models, and there will be no monitoring of conversations. Enterprise-level data protection and encryption will be implemented to ensure that security is upheld.
CSU news release, CSU AI tools, OpenAI news release, CSU on YouTube
CSU Unveils Groundbreaking Initiative to Become the Largest AI-Powered University System in the Nation
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