Clemson University Provost J. Cole Smith said the move would allow the campus community to explore artificial intelligence responsibly.
Clemson University has entered into a partnership with OpenAI to expand access to ChatGPT across its campus, marking a major step in the university’s efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into teaching, research and operations.
Under the agreement, Clemson will provide faculty and staff with free access to ChatGPT Edu, a version of ChatGPT designed specifically for educational institutions. The platform offers higher usage limits, advanced AI models, and an ad-free experience. Students, faculty and staff will also have access to enhanced AI capabilities, with more advanced tools available for researchers and developers.
The partnership supports Clemson’s newly launched AI Initiative, a cross-disciplinary programme aimed at developing what the university describes as a human-centred approach to artificial intelligence.
ChatGPT Edu is an institutionally managed and secure system with expanded privacy controls. Clemson said all information entered into its ChatGPT environment will remain within the university’s data ecosystem and will not be used to train external AI systems.
Clemson University Provost J. Cole Smith said the move would allow the campus community to explore artificial intelligence responsibly.
“Expanding and formalising access to OpenAI tools will allow our faculty, staff and students to responsibly explore new ways of teaching, learning and discovery,” Smith said, adding that the approach would enhance education, research and scholarly impact.
University officials said the agreement will also help Clemson develop a long-term strategy for AI use across pedagogy, research productivity and administrative functions. The initiative aligns with Clemson Elevate, the university’s strategic plan, and South Carolina’s broader artificial intelligence strategy.
Beyond providing access to AI tools, Clemson is investing in staff training and infrastructure to improve AI literacy and capability across academic and operational units. The university is also expanding advanced computing resources and increasing staffing to support AI-driven research, while maintaining human oversight in AI adoption.
Clemson said further details on how students, faculty and staff can access the ChatGPT Edu licence will be shared in the coming weeks.
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