TLDR: The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is set to deploy OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise across its campus in early 2026. This strategic move aims to enhance secure AI capabilities for clinical, research, education, and administrative functions, replacing the existing Versa Chat platform. The new system will feature enterprise-grade data security and HIPAA compliance, leveraging OpenAI’s latest models, including GPT-5.
San Francisco, CA – The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), a globally recognized academic medical center, has announced its plan to adopt OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise in early 2026. This significant initiative, revealed by Chancellor Sam Hawgood during his annual State of the University address on November 7, 2025, marks a pivotal step in UCSF’s secure artificial intelligence transformation across its extensive operations.
The integration of ChatGPT Enterprise will see UCSF transition from its current internal generative AI platform, Versa Chat. The new system is designed to provide advanced AI capabilities while upholding stringent data privacy and security standards, crucial for a healthcare and research institution. Joe R. Bengfort, Senior Vice President, Associate Vice Chancellor, and UCSF Enterprise CIO, emphasized the platform’s robust features, stating, “ChatGPT Enterprise is a data-secure AI platform powered by OpenAI’s latest AI models, including GPT-5. UCSF’s ChatGPT Enterprise will replace UCSF’s Versa Chat tool and will be available on Web, iOS, and Android, enabling the UCSF community to utilize the industry’s most advanced AI platform while maintaining user privacy and the security of our data.”
This deployment builds upon the foundation laid by UCSF’s Versa platform, which has successfully provided private and secure access to generative AI tools. The enterprise version of ChatGPT is expected to amplify AI capabilities across UCSF’s core mission areas: clinical care, research, education, and administrative functions. A key aspect of this adoption is its commitment to regulatory compliance, with UCSF confirming that the new platform will incorporate enhanced HIPAA compliance support, allowing clinicians, researchers, staff, and students to securely leverage AI in their work.
Approximately 9,000 current Versa Chat users are slated for migration to the new ChatGPT Enterprise system in early 2026. While the Versa Chat tool will be phased out, UCSF’s Versa API will remain operational, continuing to offer secure API access to large language models from a diverse range of vendors, including OpenAI, Anthropic, AWS, and Azure. The transition will be managed by UCSF’s Enterprise AI team, led by Joseph Owens, Principal Product Manager for Enterprise AI, with further details on the migration of over 100 Versa Assistants and training opportunities to be announced.
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UCSF’s move underscores its commitment to leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies responsibly to improve human health and operational efficiency, ensuring that innovation proceeds hand-in-hand with robust data protection.
