OpenAI and Anthropic have launched competing initiatives aimed at integrating their AI tools into higher education, highlighting the growing rivalry over capturing the attention of university students.
Anthropic recently introduced its first major academic program, Claude for Education, in collaboration with institutions such as Northeastern University, the London School of Economics (LSE), and Champlain College. The program includes a new Learning Mode for Claude, designed to promote critical thinking by using Socratic questioning instead of simply delivering direct answers.
Meanwhile, OpenAI has been active in education since May 2024 with ChatGPT Edu, which has quickly expanded. The company recently announced that its premium service, ChatGPT Plus, will be made free through May 2025 for all college students in the U.S. and Canada. OpenAI also founded the NextGenAI Consortium, pledged $50 million in research funding, and partnered with California State University to expand AI literacy and research access across campuses.
Both companies aim to make their AI tools central to how students learn and interact with information—showing just how strategic AI literacy has become in shaping future generations of professionals and researchers.
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