The AI giant OpenAI has launched a $50 million grant program to support artificial intelligence-enhanced academic research in universities.

The US-based artificial intelligence research company OpenAI has initiated a $50 million grant program for academic research. OpenAI announced its support for a new consortium named NextGenAI, which will focus on supporting AI-enhanced research in top universities. With 15 founding academic partners including Harvard, Oxford University, and MIT, NextGenAI will use the $50 million funding from OpenAI to finance research grants and computing resources. The funding will begin to be distributed in the coming months to students, educators, and researchers.

OPENAI STATEMENT: In a statement from OpenAI, it was mentioned that “This initiative was not only built to support cutting-edge discoveries but also to prepare the next generation to shape the future of artificial intelligence. NextGenAI was designed to support scientists seeking treatments, academics producing new insights, and students specializing in AI for the future of the world.” It was also discussed that the recent dismissal of a group of selected National Science Foundation employees due to their expertise in the field of artificial intelligence by the Trump administration threatened the institution’s significant work in the field of AI.