Professor Horst Eidenmüller: "Big AI should be paying universities – not billing them"

In a new post for the Oxford Business Law Blog, Professor Horst Eidenmüller, Statutory Professor for Commercial Law, argues that leading universities are undervaluing their role in the emerging generative AI ecosystem. When institutions sign deals to license AI software, writes Professor Eidenmüller, they provide reputational value, legitimacy and a rich testbed that helps companies including OpenAI, Microsoft and Google capture a worldwide market for their products.

The post calls for a fundamental shift in how these partnerships are negotiated. Professor Eidenmüller argues that rather than paying standard enterprise prices, universities should receive substantial discounts or even positive payments in recognition of the credibility and testing environment they deliver for AI companies. He also highlights the strong alternatives now available to universities, including open-source tools and staged adoption that reduces reliance on a single vendor.

"Once one looks at the value created on both sides," says Professor Eidenmüller, "a simple conclusion emerges: big AI should be paying universities – and paying them a lot – rather than sending them licence invoices."

The full blog post, 'Wrong Way Round: Why Big AI Should Be Paying Universities, Not Billing Them', is available to read on the Oxford Business Law Blog.

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