When the University of Washington announced a major AI investment with Microsoft, it promised “many millions” — but couldn’t say how much. Months later, no exact number emerged, only vague claims about boosting computing power by 10-15%. Complicating matters was “Purple,” a chatbot that accidentally opened to all UW NetID users, sparking confusion over its purpose and data access. Far from a custom AI tool, Purple is actually a corporate-grade gateway meant to steer faculty away from commercial models — a move met with faculty backlash over cost, governance, and transparency. Underlying this mess is a broader crisis: as UW pushes forward with a $10 million infrastructure upgrade, faculty fear job displacement, poor decision-making, and security risks — especially after recent cyberattacks. Over 550 faculty have accused leadership of excluding voices and letting tech giants dictate the campus’s AI future. As students return this fall, they’re stepping into a university still wrestling with who controls its digital destiny — and who’s really benefiting.

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