An OpenAI University for profit, AI native academic institution would ‘redefine what higher education should be’
ChatGPT is not a threat to but rather the foundation of the future of education. Instead of embracing ChatGPT and other AI platforms, however, educators are doing their best to ban the use of these tools, argues Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.
In a LinkedIn post, he claims that the education system is simply not built for the AI era. OpenAI, he adds, has the opportunity to change that by launching OpenAI University - a for profit, AI native academic institution that redefines what higher education should be.
He comments: “In my opinion, OpenAI should launch a global, digital first university with: Degree programs across AI, robotics, entrepreneurship, science, medicine, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and humanities - all taught through the lens of AI; Project-based learning using GPT-5, Sora, and other OpenAI tools; Professors who are AI researchers, engineers, and operators - not just academics; Curriculum designed by the best in tech, business, and science; AI copilots for every student to accelerate learning and career development; Integration with companies for internships, startup acceleration, and hiring pipelines.”
OpenAI, however, doesn’t have to build everything from scratch. Ladd offers up a potential blueprint for how it can launch a university.
It could, for instance, create “OpenAI Education Inc.” - a for profit subsidiary that partners with OpenAI LP and Foundation. Appoint a visionary education leader as President. It could also acquire a college. “Buying or partnering with an accredited but underperforming institution to get immediate regulatory clearance, Southern New Hampshire University, for example, is an option.”
A partnership with a leading university is also an option. “OpenAI should hire an investment banker to convince the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Penn State University, University of Michigan, The Ohio State University, UCLA, or other leading universities to be acquired by OpenAI or enter into an academic and financial partnership.”
Other options include: teaming up with Microsoft, NVIDIA, Stripe, Anthropic, Tesla, Pentagon, US Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, to fund companies to design cutting-edge programs and recruit faculty from real-world domains. And building a tech stack, via use of OpenAI’s own products: GPT-5 as a co-instructor; Codex for real-time coding assistance; Sora for immersive educational video content; DALL·E for creative courses; Integrate with Canvas, Notion, GitHub, and other tools students already use.
Ladd concludes: “The brutal truth is that AI is quickly rendering higher education obsolete. Most colleges and universities are incapable of providing students with an education that will be relevant. OpenAI University will change that. The goal is simple: Make education relevant again.”
2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS
AI will be a key focus area at our sister title RTIH’s 2025 Innovation Awards.
The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”
He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”
“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”
Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering.
For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.
