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California universities and community colleges continue to shape and build the future of responsible AI. While there is great momentum and progress, institutions still vary widely in readiness, access, and visibility of these AI literacy and integration efforts. This report’s findings point to the value of shared frameworks, coordinated investment, and collaboration to support responsible AI adoption across institutions to overcome current challenges.
The full 116 page Report highlights key gaps in AI readiness across California higher education and offers practical recommendations for more responsible and equitable AI adoption. This website provides a snapshot of of the major key takeaways from the report based on:
- 44 Institutional Responses
- Web analysis of 136 university and college websites
- Coverage across UCs, CSUs, California Community Colleges, and private institutions
At a Glance
Key Takeaways from this report
1.
AI governance is emerging but not yet institutionalized.
Only 15% of institutions have approved ethical/responsible AI policies, highlighting the possible value of applying formal governance structures to ethical AI policy development.
2.
Institutions need to shift from planning to implementing responsible AI policies while addressing the barriers that limit their development and adoption. While many institutions are developing AI policies, 39% reported having no formal policy in place, pointing to opportunities for state or nationally coordinated policy frameworks.
3.
HEIs are facing similar challenges and barriers across the state. Ethical concerns, faculty and staff uncertainty, lack of academic integrity policies, and unclear institutional guidance continue to impede the integration of generative AI policies.
4.
Establish permanent, coordinated governance structures and policies that are co-developed with faculty and students, supported by clear institutional and statewide guidance to coordinate AI strategy and responsible AI use. While most institutions have established campus and college-level committees or task forces to support responsible AI policies, fewer have created formal administrative offices or dedicated roles to coordinate or oversee these efforts.
5.
Curriculum development has not yet caught up with growing awareness of responsible and ethical AI. Institutions are worried about the risks of AI, yet most campuses lack guidance for responsible or ethical GenAI coursework development, suggesting the need to embed structured curriculum support.
6.
Student AI literacy is most often rated “Poor” or "Fair” across institutions, emphasizing the importance of integrated literacy initiatives. Differences in AI literacy implementation across institution types highlight a need for coordinated strategies and resource support to scale AI literacy opportunities for all students statewide.
7.
Targeted investments in licensing and infrastructure would help prevent further digital divides in AI access and opportunity. Enterprise GenAI access is unequal, especially at community colleges, underscoring the need for potentially state-funded equitable access to emerging tools.
8.
AI workforce efforts tend to be event-based, indicating opportunities for more sustained, embedded workforce pathways.
Gaps in Policy
Few institutions have formal responsible AI policies and rely on ad hoc committees.
The majority of institutions are still drafting and planning their ethical and responsible AI policies. This suggests a landscape of growing momentum for policy development, but also indicates challenges and barriers to policy creation and initiation across California HEIs. Some HEIs have already implemented AI policies, while others remain in the planning stages or have not yet initiated this work.
Background Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Policy Figure 1.3
Institutional Progress on Responsible & Ethical AI Policies
Percentage of surveyed institutions by status of responsible and ethical AI policy development and implementation.
Read more about Figure 1.3 on Page 22 in the Full Report.
Background Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Policy Recommendations for Action
Establish permanent governance structures
Move past ad-hoc committees and task forces to establish permanent, coordinated governance structures and policies that are co-developed with faculty and students, supported by clear institutional and statewide guidance, in order to coordinate AI strategy and responsible AI use.
Background Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Spotlight on SJSU
SJSU and the California State University system are leading the largest AI implementation in U.S. higher education through the AI-Empowered CSU initiative.
The CSU established an AI Workforce Acceleration Board—a collaboration between the university, the California Governor’s office and tech industry leaders—that aims to align higher education with the needs of California’s booming AI sector, where more than 30 of the world’s top 50 AI firms are headquartered. As part of its efforts, the board is creating a Workforce Readiness Index, which will help students evaluate their preparedness in key areas such as technical skills, ethical awareness, and employability.
Left Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Gaps in Equity & Access
UCs and private universities dominate online visibility and engagement with enterprise tools.
A web scrape of 136 California higher education websites (Jan–May 2025) found that private universities and UC campuses had far more visible AI-related content than CSUs and community colleges, likely reflecting differences in funding and research capacity. This imbalance raises concerns about how AI efforts are documented and perceived—especially given that CSUs and CCCs enroll many of the state’s most underserved students.
Background Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Equity & Access Figure 2.1
AI Web Visibility via Retrieval Methods Skews Toward UCs and Private Universities
Web Scrape Analysis of 136 Institutional Websites by Institution Type (CSU, Community College, Private, UCs)
Read more about Figure 2.1 on Page 38 in the Full Report.
Equity & Access Figure 2.2
Private & UC Dominant Presence According to Web Scrape Component
Top 25 AI-Related Web Pages Retrieved by Institution Type
Read more about Figure 2.2 on Page 39 in the Full Report.
Equity & Access Figure 2.5
Institutional Efforts to Ensure Equitable Access to AI Tools
Share of Surveyed Institutions Assessing Equity in AI Tool Access
Read more about Figure 2.5 on Page 48 in the Full Report.
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Equity & Access Recommendations for Action
Fund enterprise-level AI tools for under-resourced campuses
Differences in AI-related web visibility across institution types highlight an opportunity to strengthen statewide communication and ensure that innovation across all campuses is visible and equitably represented. Implement digital visibility strategies through targeted funding, technical assistance to enhance web discoverability and accessibility, and shared standards for web visibility and communication as part of providing a responsible AI infrastructure.
State and system-level stakeholders and agencies should prioritize public funding to ensure equitable enterprise-level access to generative AI across institutions.
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Spotlight on SJSU
Visibility of AI Initiatives at SJSU
SJSU, including the SJSU King Library and the Center for Faculty Excellence and Teaching Innovation, has made various AI initiatives and resources visible to the campus community and beyond. Find resources below.
Center for Faculty Excellence and Teaching Innovation’s AI Literacy Essentials
AI Center for Civic and Social Good
Left Image credit: SJSU King Library
Curriculum Figure 4.2
AI Courses Rarely Address Ethical and Societal Impacts: Curriculum Hasn’t Caught Up With Concern
Most institutions reported limited coverage or uncertainty about whether such content is included.
Read more about Figure 4.2 on Page 77 in the Full Report.
Background Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Curriculum Recommendations for Action
Developing statewide guidelines, informed by institutions already excelling in this area, is necessary to establish a consistent foundation for responsible AI education.
The AI for Social Good initiative, led in part by Yu Chen, Ph.D. (Associate Professor in Information Systems and Technology at San José State University), is an interdisciplinary AI education project that engages students from across disciplines to design AI-powered solutions addressing real-world community challenges aligned with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
The project offers curriculum and learning opportunities that emphasize ethical, inclusive, and community-engaged approaches to AI, supported by an NSF-sponsored grant and involving multiple CSU campuses. Student teams have created impactful AI projects and the initiative has generated hundreds of student innovations, research outputs, and collaborative learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom into community-focused problem solving.
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Spotlight on SJSU
Development of an AI literacy toolkit and an online AI literacy course for all incoming students
The SJSU AI Toolkit is a web-based hub designed to help San José State University students and faculty use AI effectively across academic and professional contexts. It provides organized links and guidance on common AI uses—such as how to use AI for research, Résumé building, and ChatGPT—and highlights key campus support resources from units like the SJSU CFETI, the Career Center, the Library, and the Writing Center. The site also features information about AI-enhanced learning tools, responsible AI use, and campus services that support academic success and career preparation. A built-in chat function offers interactive assistance to guide users in applying AI tools responsibly and productively in their work.
Left Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Spotlight on SJSU
SJSU King Library advancing community AI Literacy
SJSU King Library offers a curriculum exploring Retrieval Augmented Generation models and AI bias in LLMs. Pictured left is Sharesly Rodriguez, AI Librarian, presenting an AI literacy workshop titled How to Build Your Own Chatbot. Attendees learn how to make a chatbot from scratch, utilizing in their own documents for the AI to train on.
This workshop was developed by SJSU King Library's team and is expanded upon in a second workshop titled AI Bias: A Hands-On Workshop and Discussion where attendees explore how LLMs might unintentionally reproduce and amplify biases from the data they were trained on.
Left Image credit: SJSU King Library Marketing Team
Spotlight on SJSU
SJSU AI Research Cluster
San José State University has established an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning research cluster as part of its broader Research Clusters Initiative, bringing together faculty and students from fields such as computer engineering, health sciences, and the humanities to advance both foundational and applied AI research. This cluster emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, community and industry partnerships, and the ethical and socially beneficial use of AI in real-world applications. Learn more at the AI Research and Innovation page.
Left Image credit - SJSU
Gaps in Workforce Readiness
AI career readiness programming is often not embedded within the curriculum or assessed.
Career fairs and workshops may effectively connect students with employers and build skills, but they are largely event-based and lack the sustained structure and support of an embedded curriculum. Many institutions offer AI-related internships and certificate programs but lack integrated assessment measuring their effectiveness and impact on student success and career readiness.
Background Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Workforce Readiness Figure 3.1
Career Fairs, Workshops, Internships were the most reported workforce development programs
Number of Institutions Selecting Each Workforce Development Program
Read more about Figure 3.1 on Page 56 in the Full Report.
Workforce Readiness Figure 2.3
Institutional Efforts to Provide AI Literacy to all Students
Extent of AI Literacy Efforts To All Students at Surveyed Institutions
The majority of participating institutions rated efforts to provide AI literacy to all students as Poor or Fair, notably 82% of community colleges, 63% of CSUs, and 100% of private universities sampled. In contrast, UC schools stood out, with 75% rating their efforts as either Good or Excellent. Read more about Figure 2.3 on Page 42 in the Full Report.
Background Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Workforce Readiness
Recommendations for Action
Institutions should develop opportunities for more sustained, embedded AI career readiness and literacy.
At SJSU the First Year Writing Program, Writing Center, Career Center, and University Library design curriculum for incoming freshmen to prepare them with AI and digital skills. This curriculum is embedded into First Year Writing classes with assessment of long-term student success outcomes. The initiative also measures AI and digital literacy education's impact on high Drop-Fail-Withdraw (DFW) courses.
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Spotlight on SJSU
Cross-Campus Interdisciplinary Responsible Computing Learning Experience (CIRCLE) Project
CIRCLE (Cross-Campus Interdisciplinary Responsible Computing Learning Experience) at SJSU is a project that brings together students, faculty, and staff across disciplines to engage in responsible computing—exploring digital technologies and their broader social, ethical, and societal impacts. It aims to integrate real data into coursework, promote discussions through “CIRCLE Cafés,” and develop responsible computing resources such as research guides, while embedding evaluation and learning outcomes into courses and activities. The initiative also encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and offers opportunities for students to work on projects that highlight bias, social justice, human-computer interaction, and data science in technology contexts.
The project’s leadership and members include faculty with expertise in areas like AI, accessibility, archives and information science, and cultural competence. CIRCLE has been recognized as a Mozilla Responsible Computing Challenge award recipient, supporting training and opportunities in responsible computing for students and faculty from diverse disciplines.
Left Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Spotlight on SJSU
SpartUp @ SJSU
SpartUp at SJSU is the university’s student startup incubator, supporting early-stage founders with mentorship, resources, and connections to the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem. Its AI Founder Fiesta event brings together student entrepreneurs and industry experts to explore AI tools, share practical insights, and build community through panels and networking.
The university has recently seen significant activity around artificial intelligence startups, most notably the success of CollegeBot.AI, a platform made by SJSU students that helps students understand academic advising and course planning using natural-language AI to reduce wait times and simplify resource navigation.
Left Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Gaps in Partnership
Most industry and community engagement centers on short-term events.
Many industry and community partners have focused on AI-related events and panels, rather than on the development of sustainable upskilling programs, co-designing coursework, or internships.
Background Image credit: Florian Pilsl
Partnership Figure 5.5
Networking and Panels Dominate AI-Related Community Collaborations
The most common forms of AI-related collaboration between higher education institutions and community partners as indicated by surveyed institutions.
Read more about Figure 5.5 on Page 92 in the Full Report.
Background Image credit: Florian Pilsl
Partnerships Recommendation for Action
Shift from individual panels and events toward sustainable programs and initiatives.
San José State University students participated in the 2025 Design & AI Symposium held at Adobe’s San Jose headquarters. This was a full day symposium exploring what the future of the design process could look like with the intelligent integration of new AI tools from Adobe. Adobe's belief in equitable access to AI tools is reflected in their new Adobe for All initiative for the California State University, which will give the entire CSU system unlimited access to the entire Adobe Library. Learn more about Adobe's partnership with CSUs.
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Spotlight on SJSU
Community partnerships and workforce collaborations
The 2025 CSU Libraries Conference was a hybrid event that convened attendees from across the California State University system to explore innovations and emerging technologies that support academic institutions. The conference aimed to create or the faculty and staff from CSU Libraries to build new connections, share insights from their projects and challenges, and identify opportunities for collaboration. San José State University helped advance this goal by showcasing its leadership in AI literacy, digital scholarship, and cross-sector partnerships—highlighting initiatives such as the SJSU Library KingBot, the AI Center for Civic and Social Good, and the Digital Humanities Center as models for how libraries can support responsible, innovative, and workforce-aligned technology adoption across the CSU system.
Left Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Spotlight on SJSU
SJSU serves as a crucial bridge between the private and public sectors, working in partnership with both the City of San José and major companies like Adobe and NVIDIA.
San José State University has positioned itself as a regional leader in AI and digital innovation through partnerships with the City of San José, Adobe, NVIDIA, and other public- and private-sector collaborators. These partnerships support initiatives such as the AI Center for Civic and Social Good and complement spaces like the Digital Humanities Center (DHC), connecting technical innovation with human-centered, ethical, and community-focused applications. Together, this ecosystem leverages industry expertise, municipal collaboration, and academic strengths to advance workforce development, interdisciplinary learning, and responsible AI practices rooted in public value and regional impact.
This access is supported by Raymond Lam (Adobe Trainer & Instructional Designer) and Vinson Vũ (Adobe Career Hub Coordinator), who offer workshops, training sessions, and one-on-one consultations tailored to various needs. Pictured above is a workshop on Adobe Acrobat AI Assistant, supported by partners at Adobe Corporation.
Left Image credit: Robert C. Bain, University Photographer
Call to action
Join SJSU and California’s Leaders in Building an Ethical AI Future!
Be part of a statewide effort to ensure artificial intelligence is developed and used responsibly. Below are some immediate and actionable steps you can take to build a better future!
- For Policymakers: Support state-level AI curriculum and funding.
- For Institutions: Adopt visibility, ethics, and equity as AI pillars.
- For Community: Partner with public universities to democratize AI.
- For Students & Faculty: Explore our toolkit and training program.
A word from the Author
Hi, I'm Sharesly Rodriguez, AI Librarian at SJSU King Library and author of the Landscape of AI across California HEIs Report. On September 6, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-12-23, directing California state agencies, educational institutions, and local governments to develop responsible generative AI use policies that promote innovation, equity, and workforce readiness. As California continues to define its role in shaping the future of responsible AI, the state and its higher education institutions have a unique opportunity and responsibility to lead with transparency, collaboration, equity, and most importantly coordinated action. The findings of this study highlight the urgency of statewide collaboration, consistent evaluation, and targeted investment to ensure that AI adoption advances responsibly and equitably, while also easing the burden on individual institutions. The challenges and disparities identified in our study suggest that the responsible adoption of AI cannot be achieved by individual campuses or administrations acting in isolation. My hope is for this work to serve as a foundation for statewide dialogue, strengthening of equitable access, and the advancement of responsible AI policy moving forward to the work ahead into 2026.
The research team thanks Michael Meth, Sandra Hirsh, Bobbi Makani, Emily Chan, Sela Gaglia, and all responding institutions for their contributions.
Sincerely, Sharesly Rodriguez
About the Research and Report Team
PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR & RESEARCH MANAGER Sharesly Rodriguez, San José State University GRADUATE RESEARCHERS Ananya Gupta, San José State University Suhaas Teja Vijjagiri, San José State University SENIOR STRATEGIC RESEARCH & PROJECT ADVISOR Christina Mune, San José State University VISUAL DESIGN & REPORT PRODUCTION Raymond Lam, San José State University Ky Han Ly, San José State University PUBLIC INTEREST TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY NETWORK (PIT-UN) DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE Anne Marie Todd, San José State University
Special Thank You to our supporters
Special thank you to PIT-UN, San José State University, the Knight Foundation, and the SJSU King Library for their generous support and collaboration.
Credits:
About the Research and Report Team PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR & RESEARCH MANAGER Sharesly Rodriguez, San José State University GRADUATE RESEARCHERS Ananya Gupta, San José State University Suhaas Teja Vijjagiri, San José State University SENIOR STRATEGIC RESEARCH & PROJECT ADVISOR Christina Mune, San José State University VISUAL DESIGN & REPORT PRODUCTION Raymond Lam, San José State University Ky Han Ly, San José State University PUBLIC INTEREST TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY NETWORK (PIT-UN) DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE Anne Marie Todd, San José State University