Why isn’t UBC included in ChatGPT for Academic Researchers?
I was disappointed to see that UBC is not currently listed among the eligible institutions for OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Academic Researchers program:
https://chatgpt.com/sophia/eligible-institutions
According to OpenAI, eligible institutions must be “recognized, degree-granting colleges or universities with a high level of research activity”. UBC clearly meets these criteria and is one of Canada’s leading research universities.
As a postdoctoral research fellow at UBC working in a related field, I know how difficult it can be for researchers to secure sufficient funding to access AI models and services. Access to this program could meaningfully support research across many disciplines at UBC, particularly for postdoctoral researchers and early-career faculty.
UBC is in the same league as the University of Toronto and should remain competitive in providing researchers with access to emerging research infrastructure. University of Toronto is already included. I hope UBC will engage with OpenAI and take the necessary steps to become eligible as well.
Does anyone know whether UBC has already applied, or which department or administrative office we could contact about this?