SDSU students urge CSU to cancel OpenAI contract

Oct 21, 2026
A few dozen San Diego State students marched to call on the CSU system to end its ChatGPT contract with OpenAI, renewed for $39 million.

A few dozen San Diego State University students called on California State University to cancel its contract with OpenAI, KPBS reports. The students marched to the campus student union on October 20.

CSU signed a no-bid, $17 million contract with OpenAI in 2025, giving students, faculty and staff access to an education version of ChatGPT, and later renewed it for three years for $39 million. In the previous school year, campuses across the system cut jobs to offset a budget crisis.

Students raised concerns about AI's effect on writing skills, its use by immigration enforcement and the Israeli military, and the environmental effects of data centers. A 2025 CSU survey found most students used ChatGPT, but the vast majority used the free version rather than the one CSU pays for. A CSU spokesperson said the system provides AI resources and training so graduates are prepared for an economy where AI fluency is increasingly essential.

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