What's the Cost of Free AI in California Schools?
9/21/2025 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
Tech firms pitch free AI resources to schools in exchange for users.
New deals give schools free AI resources while companies gain access to millions of users. Community colleges will train staff with Google, Microsoft, Adobe and IBM and offer students Gemini and NotebookLM access. Districts test AI tools amid cheating concerns, and CSU is striking its own agreements.
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SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal
What's the Cost of Free AI in California Schools?
9/21/2025 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
New deals give schools free AI resources while companies gain access to millions of users. Community colleges will train staff with Google, Microsoft, Adobe and IBM and offer students Gemini and NotebookLM access. Districts test AI tools amid cheating concerns, and CSU is striking its own agreements.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipTech companies will begin offering a suite of AI resources for free to California schools and universities.
In return, the companies could gain access to millions of new users in deals announced in August.
The community college system will partner with Google, Microsoft, Adobe and IBM to roll out additional AI training for teachers.
The college system has also signed deals that will allow students to use exclusive versions of Google's counterpart to ChatGPT.
Gemini and Google's AI research tool, notebook LM.
The new deals are the latest developments in a frenzy that began in November 2022, when OpenAI publicly released the free artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, forcing schools to adapt.
The Los Angeles Unified School District implemented an AI chat bot last year, only to cancel it three months later without disclosing why.
San Diego Unified teachers started using AI software that suggested what grades to give students.
Calmatters reported some of the district's board members were unaware that the district had purchased the software.
Last month, the company that oversees canvas, a learning management system popular in California schools and universities, said it would add interactive conversations in a chat GPT like environment into its software to combat potential AI related cheating.
Many K-12 and college districts are using a new feature from the software company.
Turn it in to detect plagiarism.
But a Calmatters investigation found that the software accused students who did real work.
Instead, the K through 12 system and Cal State University System are forming their own tech deals.
A Cal State System spokesperson said it's working on its own AI programs with Google, Microsoft, Adobe and IBM, as well as Amazon Web Services and others.
Last year, the California Community College Chancellor's Office signed an agreement with Nvidia, a technology infrastructure company, to offer AI training similar to the kinds of lessons that Google, Microsoft, Adobe and IBM will deliver.
For Calmatters, I'm Robert Meeks.
With reporting by Adam Echelman
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SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal