University of Phoenix has announced a collaboration with OpenAI to develop practical artificial intelligence skills for working adult learners and expand responsible AI use across the institution.

The organization will explore AI applications spanning teaching and learning, student support, career services, administrative operations, and collaborative research. The initiative is designed to help working professionals apply AI skills in their current workplaces while enabling the university to study the technology’s effect on learning, career mobility, and workforce development.

Building AI Skills for Working Professionals

The collaboration focuses on a student population already active in the workforce. University of Phoenix students have an average age of approximately 38, with many balancing employment, education, and family responsibilities.

University of Phoenix and OpenAI plan to integrate AI into learning experiences and examine how working professionals use those capabilities in practical settings. The initiative aims to support AI fluency, workplace-ready skills, and the university’s understanding of how AI-enabled education affects learning and career outcomes.

“Artificial intelligence represents one of the most significant shifts in the future of work since the emergence of the internet,” said Chris Lynne, Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Education Partners and President of University of Phoenix. “Our students aren’t preparing for tomorrow’s workforce—they’re already shaping today’s. Together with OpenAI, University of Phoenix has an opportunity to help working adults build practical AI capabilities they can immediately apply in their careers while advancing new understanding of how AI can improve learning, career mobility, and workforce success.”

The collaboration will also expand access to ChatGPT Edu and support institution-wide efforts to develop the knowledge, culture, and confidence required for responsible AI adoption.

“AI has the greatest impact when institutions combine access to advanced technology with the expertise, vision, and support needed to put it to work in meaningful ways,” said Kevin Mills, Head of Education Go-to-Market at OpenAI. “We’re excited to collaborate with the University of Phoenix to expand access to ChatGPT Edu while helping foster the capabilities, culture, and confidence needed to accelerate responsible AI adoption across the institution. Together, we’re laying the foundation for new approaches to teaching, learning, and student success in the age of AI.”

Expanding AI Across the University

University of Phoenix and OpenAI will explore AI-powered teaching and learning experiences intended to support student engagement and educational outcomes. The collaboration will also examine how AI skills can be incorporated across academic programs to prepare learners for AI-enabled workplaces.

Other areas include tools to improve faculty productivity and personalized student support, AI-enabled career services, administrative applications, and workforce programs designed around employers’ changing capability requirements.

The initiative builds on University of Phoenix’s existing institution-wide AI strategy. More than 20 degree programs are being systematically updated with AI skills and literacy, according to the university. Students already have access to Microsoft Copilot and AI-powered academic assistance through the Phoenix Academic Support System.

Why It Matters

The collaboration connects institution-wide AI adoption with workforce development. Because many University of Phoenix students are employed while studying, the initiative creates an opportunity to assess how newly acquired AI capabilities are applied in working environments.

The collaboration also extends beyond providing access to ChatGPT Edu. It covers curriculum design, faculty support, career services, administration, and research, reflecting a broader institutional approach to responsible AI adoption.

University of Phoenix and OpenAI have not provided a rollout timeline or detailed measurement framework in the announcement. The next developments to watch will be the applications selected for implementation, the expansion of ChatGPT Edu access, and the findings from the collaborative research.