OpenAI and UNSW Sydney have launched a collaboration to provide ChatGPT Edu across the university, reaching 80,000 students and staff.
The agreement gives students, educators, researchers and professional staff access to the education-focused version of ChatGPT for teaching, research and administrative work. OpenAI described it as its largest ChatGPT education deployment in Asia-Pacific and its first strategic education collaboration in Australia.
Under the arrangement, generative AI foundations and Codex will be integrated into educational programmes and courses. Researchers are expected to use the tools for tasks including literature reviews, data summarisation, domain modelling, coding and secure research workflows.
Students will also have opportunities to apply AI in hackathons and industry projects in areas such as health, climate, defence, fintech and cybersecurity. The organisations also intend to build talent pathways linking students to internships, graduate roles, startup networks and innovation programmes.
The move comes as universities and employers in Australia weigh how quickly AI tools should be embedded in formal education and workplace preparation. It also reflects growing demand from students, who already use AI regularly in their studies and personal projects.
Research commissioned by OpenAI and conducted among more than 1,000 university students in Australia found 81% use AI several times a week, while 33% use it multiple times a day. It also found 61% believe AI skills will be essential to success in their chosen career, and 69% think AI literacy will become as fundamental as digital literacy, writing or numeracy.
Nearly one in three students surveyed, or 28%, said they had already built their own AI agent or assistant to help manage studies, work or personal life beyond simple conversational use. The findings also showed 79% wanted more opportunities to use advanced AI tools on real-world university projects, while 65% said AI skills would give Australian graduates an advantage in the global workforce.
Entrepreneurial ambitions also featured strongly in the survey. Two-thirds of respondents said they would like to build an AI-powered app, product or company while at university, 76% said they were interested in starting a company or working for themselves, and 68% said they were optimistic about AI's impact on entrepreneurship.
Wider push
For UNSW, the collaboration forms part of a broader effort to embed AI across faculties rather than confine it to computer science or specialist research units. The initiative will also support work on the human, cognitive, learning and societal effects of AI adoption, as well as projects with government and industry.
UNSW was recently ranked first in Australia and 19th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Its alumni include founders of Australian technology companies such as Atlassian, Airtasker and Envato.
Kiran Mani, managing director for Asia Pacific at OpenAI, said the partnership was designed to reflect how students want to use the technology in practice. "Australian university students are telling us they want to do more than simply learn about AI, they want to use it to build companies, advance research and solve real-world problems. UNSW is setting a new benchmark for the AI-native graduate: someone who enters the workforce experienced in using AI responsibly to research, analyse, create and build.
"This collaboration connects education directly with opportunity and is an important investment in Australia's future. Giving students the skills and confidence to use AI today will help develop the founders, researchers and professionals Australia needs tomorrow," Mani said.
Professor Paul Andon, executive lead for AI and dean of UNSW Business at UNSW, said the university viewed access to AI as part of preparing students and staff for changes across industries and professions. "UNSW is committed to ensuring our students, staff and researchers are ready to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Through our collaboration with OpenAI, we are expanding access to practical, responsible tools that can support learning, accelerate discovery and unlock new opportunities for innovation. As Australia's leading university, we have an important role to play in preparing graduates to navigate and shape the future. From medicine and law to engineering, business, science and the arts, we are equipping our students with the skills and confidence to tackle complex challenges and create positive impact in society," Andon said.