California State University invited technology companies including Amazon and OpenAI to help redesign learning with artificial intelligence, signaling a major push to position the system as a national leader in AI-enabled higher education. Campus leaders outlined partnerships to pilot AI tools for instruction, advising and administrative efficiency, seeking vendor expertise and scale. The initiative aims to serve CSU’s large, diverse student body but raises governance questions about vendor control, data privacy, procurement and academic oversight as public institutions lean on private tech firms to accelerate digital transformation.