Two of the world’s top AI labs, OpenAI and Anthropic, just made major moves into the higher education space. And they did so within 24 hours of each other. This week’s announcements highlight a growing rivalry not just over market share. But over who gets to shape the next generation’s relationship with artificial intelligence.
On Wednesday morning, Anthropic launched Claude for Education, its first serious push into academia. Just one day later, on Thursday, OpenAI responded by expanding access to ChatGPT Plus. Making the premium AI tool free for all U.S. and Canadian college students through May.
The timing may not be accidental. As schools race to define AI’s role in the classroom. Both companies are making aggressive plays to become the go-to tool for students and universities.
Anthropic’s education announcement centers around a new version of its chatbot, Claude, tailored specifically for universities. As part of the rollout, Anthropic unveiled partnerships with institutions like Northeastern University, London School of Economics (LSE), and Champlain College, along with tech infrastructure players Internet2 and Instructure. The company behind Canvas, a widely used learning management system.
The standout feature? A new Learning Mode, which introduces a Socratic approach to student interactions. Instead of simply providing answers, Claude will prompt students with guiding questions like “What evidence supports your conclusion?” and “How would you approach this?” — all with the goal of encouraging deeper engagement and stronger critical thinking skills.
“As social scientists, we are in a unique position to understand and shape how AI can positively transform education and society,” said Larry Kramer, President and Vice-Chancellor of LSE, in Anthropic’s press release.
For Anthropic, this marks a significant step into educational technology. And a chance to distinguish itself by focusing on AI as a learning companion, rather than a shortcut.
OpenAI, by contrast, has already been active in the education space for months. It launched ChatGPT Edu in May 2024 and has steadily expanded its academic partnerships ever since. In February, OpenAI teamed up with California State University (CSU) to roll out ChatGPT Edu across all CSU campuses. Then in March, it committed $50 million to the NextGenAI Consortium, supporting AI research across 15 higher education institutions.
Now, OpenAI is going a step further by offering ChatGPT Plus free to college students in the U.S. and Canada for a limited time. This version normally costs $20/month, and includes features such as:
- Deep Research capabilities
- Voice interactions and advanced conversation tools
- Large file uploads
- Access to the most advanced GPT models
The campaign is clearly aimed at students prepping for finals — but also reflects OpenAI’s broader mission to lead the charge in AI literacy and workforce readiness.
“Today’s college students face enormous pressure to learn faster, solve harder problems, and prepare for a job market increasingly shaped by AI,” said Leah Belsky, VP of Education at OpenAI. “Supporting their AI literacy means more than demonstrating how these tools work. It means giving them the opportunity to build a relationship with these technologies.”
The fact that these two announcements landed within a day of each other underscores just how valuable the university market has become in the AI platform wars. Students represent more than just short-term users — they’re future researchers, developers, decision-makers, and buyers.
By embedding their tools in higher education early, OpenAI and Anthropic are each trying to become the default AI tool for a generation that will soon shape the future of work, tech, and academia.
While OpenAI offers powerful tools and wide access, Anthropic is carving out a more pedagogical identity — one that frames Claude as a thoughtful guide instead of just a search replacement.
Whether through free premium features, AI research funding, or Socratic learning assistants, both companies are chasing the same goal: owning the relationship between AI and higher education before their competitors do.
