OpenAI will provide free access to its AI models to 100,000 scientists, mathematicians and engineers through a new program called ChatGPT for Academic Researchers.

The initiative starts with 10,000 participants this summer before scaling to the full cohort by 2027. Researchers from select academic institutions will receive hands-on support from OpenAI, access to the company's latest GPT-5.6 Sol Pro model, and can invite four collaborators from their institution.

OpenAI describes the program as part of a commitment worth more than $250 million through 2027 to support external scientific research and discovery.

Why OpenAI is courting academia

The move follows the company's existing ChatGPT Edu program for schools and reflects growing AI adoption in research workflows. Scientists already use AI models to analyze data and write grant applications — this formalizes that relationship.

By default, researchers' data will not be used to train OpenAI's models, the company said. However, the program could generate research breakthroughs that showcase GPT capabilities while creating dependencies on OpenAI's tools across scientific fields.

This positions the company for future revenue from for-profit research applications as academic institutions become more reliant on its technology.

Building on existing research tools

OpenAI previously launched Prism in January, an AI-powered tool for working with scientific journals and documents. Available to any ChatGPT user, Prism can verify research citations and formatting.

Early demonstrations showed the tool generating lesson plans, addressing one of the more time-consuming tasks for research professors. The academic researcher program extends this strategy of embedding OpenAI's technology deeper into university workflows.

The company has not disclosed which academic institutions will participate in the initial rollout or the selection criteria for researchers.