Welcome to AI University
AI is transforming not only learning, but also the institutions that provide it.
What I am about to say will probably sound preposterous to anyone who is serious about higher education. However, there is at least one very compelling reason why we cannot ignore the idea of AI universities as a model for future higher education institutions.
That reason is cost.
With increasingly unfavorable funding models, universities worldwide are looking towards increasing executive education revenue streams and sources of external research funding to make up for the exceedingly difficult financial situation.
In the long run, however, even taking drastic measures within existing HE institutional structures and confines may not be enough in many instances.
I have previously written about the problems brick-and-mortar institutions face in the context of digital education. My post The Imperative for Rethinking Higher Education Strategy, for example, raised a number of critical questions on innovation that decision-makers should be concerned with - right now - to stay in business. I have also outlined some of the fundamental issues that need to change in higher education management.
AI truly fuels the kind of transition that is needed in higher education today. Conventional institutions already face severe competition, but it probably won't be edX, Coursera, or Udacity that will cause the next seismic shift in higher education.
Rather, I am convinced we will see AI-based universities within a couple of years, i.e., formalized educational providers, but with the same type of mission and mindset as Khan Academy. In a competitive market, institutions that succeed in incorporating AI into their mission and strategy will gain a competitive advantage.
Let’s take a look at how this might work.
A Glimpse into the Future
At these institutions, the admissions process will be streamlined through AI, avoiding the limitations of traditional protocols and opening up possibilities for more nuanced, individual evaluations of applicants. AI will act not as a replacement for human judgement, but as a way of enhancing the breadth and depth of admissions officers' decision-making capacities. At a fraction of the cost.
Faculty members will, unsurprisingly, be well-versed in using AI as the most cost effective way of staying innovative towards pedagogical approaches. Processes of learning and discovery will be given priority over the idea of output as the predominant way of measuring learning typically found in conventional educational settings. Professors, too, will remain curious learners as they guide students through an AI-augmented educational journey. The classroom environment, physical or virtual, will be transformed, creating a learning space where human creativity and AI capabilities merge to foster an engaging atmosphere of higher quality than conventional institutions can provide.
In addition to their chosen subjects, all students will be trained to adeptly utilize AI. In partnering with companies, the lines between academia and industry will blur as higher education prepares students for a seamless transition into a workforce that values AI literacy.
Beyond acting as mere consumers of AI technology, AI universities will create their own knowledge base and data sets for AI training. They will excel at using data to inform institutional decision-making. Autonomous AI ecosystems will enable them to learn iteratively, test continuously and swiftly adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of AI, maintaining a relevant and forward-thinking curriculum, amongst other things.
Lastly, AI will also play a key role in shaping human interactions at these institutions. The art of conversation, once lost, will be regained. AI automation of mundane tasks will open up space for more genuine, meaningful human-to-human conversations between faculty and students. The exchange of ideas, the development of critical thinking, and the creation of knowledge will be situated within a matrix of human connection and AI innovation.
Money talks
The single most remarkable aspect of AI-based universities, or rather the main financial driver, is their potential to operate at a fraction of the cost of traditional universities. Unfettered by the inertia and constraints of the past, AI institutions will insist on new pathways of productivity and learning in higher education. By capitalising on AI for all purposes and operations, these institutions will be able to offer a high-quality education that's financially accessible, disrupting the status quo of skyrocketing tuition fees.
If we consider the evolution of AI and its escalating impact on all spheres of life, this development seems inevitable. We often hear about the immense potential for reshaping learning with AI, and this transformation takes place not only in classrooms, but also within institutions themselves. I am certain AI-based institutions will emerge, if for nothing else because of their appealing profit margins.
While the emergence of AI universities may seem like a prospective event on the horizon, I am confident we will be seeing them soon.