A number of students are viewing a new initiative as a chance to transform into budding entrepreneurs, motivated by the desire to avoid becoming part of the A.I. underclass. Keith Curry, a 33-year-old double major in computer science and biology at San Francisco State University (S.F.S.U.), fits the profile of a typical California State University (C.S.U.) student. Originally from Ohio, he dropped out of Kent State University in 2015, spending several years working as a driver for UPS and at a lice clinic in San Francisco before deciding to return to school in 2023, finally able to fund his education. A pivotal moment for him came in 2024 at an A.I. conference, where industry leaders discussed the implications of artificial intelligence, prompting him to reflect, “C.E.O.s were saying how you might never need to hire again. I hadn’t even been hired yet. That’s when I understood the gravity of the situation.”
Motivated by what he termed “negative motivation,” Curry applied for roughly 100 internships the next semester, focusing primarily on the software sector. Leveraging A.I. tools, he optimized his job applications and tailored his résumé for various positions. He eagerly accepted an invitation to participate in OpenAI’s student A.I. lab—a focus group designed to bridge the gap between the company and student users of ChatGPT. Meanwhile, he observed his professors grappling with the integration of this new technology into their curricula, with varying degrees of success.
Curry was particularly impressed by a programming professor who candidly stated his intention not to hinder the development of skills crucial for students' futures. Students who opted to utilize A.I. for assignments were required to submit two versions of each task—one without A.I., regardless of quality, and another with A.I., complete with a detailed description of the chatbot’s role. For Curry, this approach represented a balanced compromise. He has since founded a startup that specializes in 3-D-printed laboratory equipment.
Simultaneously, OpenAI has been actively fostering excitement around A.I. on campus. Last fall, they rolled out a ChatGPT Campus Ambassador program targeting C.S.U. undergraduates, encouraging students to spread awareness of how ChatGPT is positively impacting their coursework. This initiative effectively turns students into peer marketers for the technology, a strategy mirrored by companies such as Adobe and Anthropic. Aniruddha Dhir, an international computer science major from India and one of S.F.S.U.’s ambassadors, shared his extensive experience interning at A.I. firms each summer. He proudly sported a silver OpenAI pin while discussing his efforts to hold bi-semester ChatGPT events, where he has taught fellow students to enhance their LinkedIn profiles and study for exams using the tool.
For both Curry and Dhir, the A.I. Initiative presents a promising gateway to careers in the tech sector, along with the associated opportunity for socioeconomic advancement. However, many of their classmates perceive it as a threat—not just to their education, but also to the fields they aspired to enter upon arriving at S.F.S.U. Vi Lee, a double major in political science and Asian American studies, helped organize a student union demonstration advocating for clearer oversight of A.I. policies and funding on campus before any contracts with OpenAI are renewed. Students are also seeking guarantees that no courses will mandate the use of A.I. In April, 11 campuses collectively joined in a system-wide day of action. Currently, about half of the university system’s ChatGPT licenses remain dormant, indicating that C.S.U. has potentially invested in thousands of logins that have gone unused. Lee remarked on the irony of such expenditures in light of reported financial constraints.
