Oxford university announces OpenAI partnership

The University of Oxford has announced a new five-year partnership with OpenAI - the maker of the world's best-known artificial intelligence tool, ChatGPT.

The collaboration will see students and staff gain access to funding and "cutting-edge" artificial intelligence (AI) tools to "enhance teaching, learning and research", the university said.

Some of the Bodleian Library's public collection will also be digitised as part of the new scheme.

Brad Lightcap, OpenAI's chief operating officer, said "continued collaboration" with the academic community was "essential to build AI that benefits everyone".

As part of the scheme, Oxford researchers will receive access to OpenAI's latest models, including a version of ChatGPT designed specifically for educational institutions.

Research grant funding will also be available for projects that involve working with the firm, based in the Silicon Valley region of California in the US.

The university said the partnership would "present opportunities to accelerate" its research into areas such as health and climate change.

Prof Patrick Grant, pro vice-chancellor for research at Oxford, said: "Artificial intelligence is accelerating the pace of scientific discovery and enabling researchers to work with increasingly complex data sets.

"The university aims to be at the forefront of AI research and the application of AI for all researchers, by producing ground-breaking studies to help both scholars and society not only adapt to these technologies, but also harness them wisely to their full potential," he added.

Bodleian Library collections that have not previously been available online will also become accessible around the globe as part of the project.

Librarian Richard Ovenden 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 have in more recent years been an innovator in the use of technology," he added.

The new partnership has come as a result of the University of Oxford's participation in NextGenAI - a project involving top universities in the US and UK that is sponsored by OpenAI.

"The NextGenAI initiative will accelerate research progress and catalyse a new generation of institutions equipped to harness the transformative power of AI," Mr Lightcap said.

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