How Cal State Became Ground Zero for the Fight over AI in Higher Education - Chris Mills Rodrigo, TechPolicy

 In a statement emailed to Tech Policy Policy, CSU director of media relations and public affairs Amy Bentley-Smith said the system “is focused on ensuring our universities have the tools and resources to meet this moment and lead in the educational application, preparation, and ethical and responsible use of AI.” Bentley-Smith added that access to “relevant technologies” allows faculty and staff “to work together on solutions for the benefit of our students’ education and the broader academic community.” OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment. But according to some professors, integrating AI into classrooms has not been as seamless as Cal State may have hoped for.

https://www.techpolicy.press/how-cal-state-became-ground-zero-for-the-fight-over-ai-in-higher-education/

Measuring progress toward AGI: A cognitive framework - Ryan Burnell & Oran Kelly, the Keyword, Google

Our framework draws on decades of research from psychology, neuroscience and cognitive science to develop a cognitive taxonomy. It identifies 10 key cognitive abilities that we hypothesize will be important for general intelligence in AI systems:

Perception: extracting and processing sensory information from the environment

Generation: producing outputs such as text, speech and actions

Attention: focusing cognitive resources on what matters

Learning: acquiring new knowledge through experience and instruction

Memory: storing and retrieving information over time

Reasoning: drawing valid conclusions through logical inference

Metacognition: knowledge and monitoring of one's own cognitive processes

Executive functions: planning, inhibition and cognitive flexibility

Problem solving: finding effective solutions to domain-specific problems

Social cognition: processing and interpreting social information and responding appropriately in social situations

https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/google-deepmind/measuring-agi-cognitive-framework/

Faster, thinner: Colleges are swiftly trimming a B.A. degree to three years - Jon Marcus, Hechinger Report

Quinn McDonald planned to spend the typical four years working toward a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Then he heard about a place where he could get the same degree in three. “It was the idea of being able to save a year” that grabbed his attention, said McDonald — a savings of not only time, but tuition. And he could start earning a salary faster than if he spent four years in college. So, last fall, McDonald joined the inaugural class of one of the nation’s first in-person programs approved to award bachelor’s degrees with fewer than the usual 120 credits, at Johnson & Wales University. He’ll need only 90 credits, putting him on track to graduate in 2028, after three years  instead of the usual four or more.

https://hechingerreport.org/faster-thinner-colleges-bachelors-degree-three-years/

Did anybody do the reading? Colleges grapple with a generational shift in learning — plus AI - Associated Press

Johnson’s concerns about waning participation and declining reading are shared by professors and teachers in liberal arts programs, including in Pittsburgh. Teachers at four universities interviewed for this story had a variety of theories about the cause, including:

1. Inequitable educational opportunity that leaves some college students unable to comprehend difficult material

2. Federal policies that encourage teaching to the test rather than critical thinking

3. Increasing student use of artificial intelligence (AI) to draft papers and write summaries, which some instructors worry will only worsen the trend.

https://universitybusiness.com/did-anybody-do-the-reading-colleges-grapple-with-a-generational-shift-in-learning-plus-ai/

Why universities should anchor state quantum computing initiatives - Nate Gemelke, University Business

The universities that helped shape the AI revolution did not wait for the technology to mature. They built programs, recruited faculty, and secured funding while the field was still taking shape. Quantum computing is entering a similar inflection point. While the underlying physics is unfamiliar to many, the institutional question is one universities have faced before: how to position themselves, and their regions, during the early stages of a major technological transition. For much of the past decade, quantum computing has been discussed primarily as a long-term research prospect. That framing is now changing. Early systems are operating today, federal agencies are funding large-scale programs, and private companies are beginning to integrate quantum resources into broader high-performance computing environments.

https://universitybusiness.com/why-universities-should-anchor-state-quantum-computing-initiatives/

See which jobs are most threatened by AI, and who may be able to adapt - Kevin Schaul and Shira Ovide, Washington Post

No one has a perfect road map to the future, but researchers at GovAI, which studies technology policy, and the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank, used a novel approach to estimate which workers may be most and least able to adapt to AI. They concluded that many people most at risk if AI transforms work are also the best placed to find new jobs. You can use the search box and interactive chart above to explore which occupations may have bright prospects and which may not. But history shows that economists and researchers have been terrible at predicting the effects of new technologies on work and workers, so take forecasts like this one seriously but not literally. Even researchers cranking out studies of AI in workplaces caution that they’re making useful but fallible best guesses. “All the important questions about AI’s effects on the labor market are still unanswered,” Jed Kolko, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, recently concluded. Economists at Anthropic, the AI start-up behind the Claude chatbot, stressed the need for “humility” in their analysis of AI seeping into occupations. (Humility is uncommon in Silicon Valley.)

https://wapo.st/4cP2ZHM

Online learning gains momentum as students reconsider studying abroad - JB, The St.Kitts/Nevis Observer

A regional educator is of the opinion that online learning is becoming an increasingly attractive option for Caribbean students, as uncertainty surrounding overseas study — particularly in the United States — leads more people to pursue higher education from home. According Wendy Williams,  the Deputy Dean of Academic Affairs at Academix School of Learning,  an educational institution here, many students are now reconsidering traditional study-abroad routes due to concerns about student visa approvals and the risk of investing time and money without certainty of being able to travel. “We have always had our eyes on the United States as a pathway to higher education,” Williams said. “But the reality now is that students are worried about whether their visas will be approved and whether they will be able to travel after investing so much in the process.”

https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/online-learning-gains-momentum-as-students-reconsider-studying-abroad/

When Harvey Met Elle: How AI Tutors Transformed Learning in My Law Class - Wayland Chau, Faculty Focus

This past fall, I taught a business law course to all second year students in the Bachelor of Commerce program at Dalhousie University. I had 343 students across three sections of 109 to 120 students in each. The course covers foundational areas of Canadian business law and requires students to apply that law with a structured legal analysis. Even with active learning approaches in class and clear instructional structures, it was apparent that students needed individualized, on-demand support that traditional office hours and T.A. tutorials could not fully satisfy. To address this, I created and deployed two custom AI tutors, Harvey and Elle, built as custom GPTs in the ChatGPT platform. The aim was to offer scalable, digital learning companions that aligned directly with course learning outcomes and pedagogical needs. What emerged was an effective model for AI-supported instruction that helped students better understand legal concepts, improve their analytical skills, and engage more confidently with course material. 

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/when-harvey-met-elle-how-ai-tutors-transformed-learning-in-my-law-class/

History tells us a golden age can come after the AI apocalypse- Jo-An Occhipinti, Ante Prodan and Roy Green, Financial Review

 Societies must channel technological potential toward broad-based growth rather than allowing the gains to concentrate among the winners of the speculative phase. The market grasped this before the accountants did. Since early this year, the S&P 500 Software and Services Index has shed nearly $1 trillion. Salesforce is down 30 per cent year-to-date. Adobe’s forward price-earnings ratio has compressed from 30 to 12. Software price-to-sales ratios fell from nine to six within weeks, levels not seen since the mid-2010s. Australian superannuation funds, with hundreds of billions invested in international equities heavily weighted to US technology, are exposed to every dollar of this repricing. But software is only where the destruction is most visible. It is not where it ends. AI is beginning to erode the value of a broader category of accumulated capital: the knowledge, processes, organisational structures and professional expertise that the advanced economies spent half a century building.

https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/history-tells-us-a-golden-age-can-come-after-the-ai-apocalypse-20260310-p5o95k

AI could leave many college grads unemployed, says ServiceNow CEO - EdScoop

Bill McDermott, the chief executive of ServiceNow, an American cloud computing firm, told reporters recently that the advancement of artificial intelligence could push the unemployment level of recent college graduates into the almost 40%. McDermott told CNBC that “so much of the work is going to be done by agents,” highlighting the challenge that college graduates will likely face. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York put the unemployment rate of recent college graduates, at the end of last year, at 5.7%, while underemployment for the same group reached 42.5%. Layoffs at large companies, particularly in Big Tech, continue. The fintech firm Block, recently announced it would lay off about 4,000 employees, roughly half of its workforce.

https://edscoop.com/ai-unemployment-higher-education/

Key findings about how Americans view artificial intelligence - Michelle Faverio and Emma Kikuchi, Pew Research

Drawing on five years of Pew Research Center surveys, here are 13 findings about how Americans use and view AI, and where they see promise and risk. Americans continue to be wary of AI’s impact on daily life. Half of U.S. adults say the increased use of AI in daily life makes them feel more concerned than excited, according to a June 2025 survey. Just 10% say they are more excited than concerned. Another 38% say they are equally concerned and excited. More Americans are concerned today than they were when we first asked this question in 2021. Back then, 37% said they were more concerned than excited. In contrast, concern is lower in many of the 24 other countries we’ve polled about AI.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/12/key-findings-about-how-americans-view-artificial-intelligence/

What 3 Leading AI Models Say Are the Most Vulnerable Jobs in Higher Ed - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higther Ed

I asked artificial intelligence to tell me what jobs in higher education are most vulnerable to replacement in the near term. Sonnet is very honest in its replies, painting a difficult picture for those who seek to find new jobs in higher ed. For those already in the field, Sonnet suggests becoming the most adept user of AI in your office. Seek to transfer to the unit or office where AI is a top priority. It adds, “Consider whether your institution is viable. Smaller, tuition-dependent institutions without strong endowments are in structural decline. Loyalty to a sinking ship is not a career strategy.” Across all career stages in higher education, Gemini recommends, “To remain relevant, higher education professionals must pivot toward AI Orchestration. Success is no longer measured by how well you perform a task, but by how well you direct the agents performing them.”

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/online-trending-now/2026/03/18/what-ai-says-are-most-vulnerable-jobs-higher-ed

Generative AI can play a role uplifting family and community in early childhood education - Andres Bustamante & Aria Gastón-Panthaki, the Conversation

Use of generative artificial intelligence technology is already widespread in K-12 schools and higher education. Now, AI technologies such as conversational agents and tablet-based assessments are starting to make their way toward early childhood education. One concern with AI in a prekindergarten setting is that the technology will replace or disrupt the rich interactions and deep relational bonds between children and their caregivers. Another worry is that AI systems will reproduce discrimination related to race, gender and socioeconomic status, which could reinforce stereotypes and biases. What if, instead, this technology was used to uplift marginalized voices rather than silence them?

https://theconversation.com/generative-ai-can-play-a-role-uplifting-family-and-community-in-early-childhood-education-272237

OpenAI ChatGPT leader discusses AI agents and the future of knowledge work at Harvard Business School - Emma Thompson, EdTech Innovation Hub

The discussion also explored how the responsibilities of product managers could change as generative AI systems become part of the development process. Ostrovskiy wrote: “The job becomes less about coordination and more about 1) understanding real user problems, 2) defining what ‘success’ means in an AI system, and 3) building evals and feedback loops so you can tell if a new model configuration is actually better than the last one.” He added that curiosity about how AI systems behave may become a core skill across multiple roles: “The advantage goes to people who are curious about system behavior and who like building, regardless of whether their title says PM, engineer, designer or something else.” The conversation also included advice for students learning how to evaluate AI systems: “Build something with one foundation model, then swap in a different model or prompt configuration and force yourself to decide if it’s better. When you’re a student looking to become a better PM, even a simple spreadsheet of use cases plus a qualitative rubric counts as an eval.”

https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/openai-chatgpt-leader-discusses-ai-agents-and-the-future-of-knowledge-work-at-harvard-business-school

Adopting AI is a social contract - Andrew Inkpen & Dani Inkpen, University Affairs

Integrating artificial intelligence into our societies and personal lives binds us to certain futures and forecloses the possibility of others. Are we ready to accept the consequences? Much of the present conversation about AI in higher education centers around questions of implementation. How do we use AI in accordance with principles of universal design? How can we ensure equity in its usage, be it across axes of gender, race or class? What does AI mean for the longevity of the professorial profession? Implementation should indeed be approached with care and nuance, and we welcome this conversation. Yet, questions of implementation assume that AI is desirable and inevitable in the classroom. The prior question of whether AI in higher education is actually desirable is often overlooked. Two widespread assumptions underpin this move: 1) technological progress is inevitable; 2) technology is apolitical — it only becomes political in its implementation. 

https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/adopting-ai-is-a-social-contract/

Today’s AI is built to respond. The future belongs to proactive systems. - Kiara Nirghin & Nikhara Nirghin, Big Think

Much of what we’ve seen from the biggest artificial intelligence (AI) companies has revolved around words: You go to their chatbot, ask it a question, and it responds. Over the past couple of years, some have taken this a step further with AI agents — those can actually do things, but only things you’ve told them to do. The next frontier in AI is not better chat. It is not even better agents. The next frontier is proactive AI, the kind that takes action, learns in real time, and, critically, comes to you before you go to it. This distinction is not a feature improvement. It is a civilizational pivot.

https://bigthinkmedia.substack.com/p/ai-that-acts-before-you-ask-is-the

OpenAI's new GPT-5.4 clobbers humans on pro-level work in tests - by 83% - David Gewirtz, ZDnet

GPT-5.4 is also more reliable, producing 18% fewer errors and 33% fewer false claims than GPT-5.2, according to OpenAI. GPT-5.4's 83% score suggests AI rivals expert professionals. Tests span nine industries and 44 real-world occupations. New capabilities boost coding, tools, and computer control.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/openai-gpt-5-4/

AI in higher education is now the norm—not the exception - Michelle Centamore, University Business

AI is quickly becoming standard practice in higher education, with students and faculty reporting widespread use and a largely positive view of its impact, according to Coursera’s new report, “AI in Higher Education: Insights on Attitudes, Adoption, and Risks.” The findings also point to rising demand for formal training. Nine in 10 students said they want generative AI instruction included in their degree programs. On the hiring side, 75% of employers said they would rather hire a less experienced candidate with a generative AI credential than a more experienced candidate without one.

https://universitybusiness.com/ai-in-higher-education-is-now-the-norm/

6 ways to build a strong leadership team in a scary higher ed landscape - Alcindo Donadel, University Business

Public support, financial pressure and questions of workforce relevance aren’t new challenges for higher education leaders, but they’ve never converged so fiercely, according to the latest report from EAB, a consulting firm. “They’re accelerating and exacerbating one another, putting unprecedented strain on the university business model and our margins,” says Brooke Thayer, senior director of research development. A rapidly changing higher education landscape demands organizational agility: Leadership must be prepared to make tough calls while remaining adaptable to emerging threats. “In this environment, the greater risk is not uncertainty itself, but paralysis,” the report reads. “A decision delayed by fear of pushback, controversy or disruption frequently carries higher long-term costs than a decision to act decisively amid ambiguity.”

https://universitybusiness.com/6-ways-to-build-a-strong-leadership-team-in-a-scary-higher-ed-landscape/

Provost Ann Stevens answers questions on CU system-ChatGPT agreement - CU Boulder Today

I would also like to be clear about what this agreement is and what it is not. This agreement does not require the use of generative AI in classrooms or research, nor does it diminish faculty authority over pedagogy, curriculum or assessment. It does not replace existing tools or limit future choices. Instead, it provides a secure, institutionally supported option for a technology many in our community are already encountering and using, often without the protections we would want to have in place. Our current data show that more than 28,000 users on campus already have registered ChatGPT accounts using their @colorado.edu credentials, including more than 3,000 faculty and staff. Although that statistic is limited to users of CU email credentials, countless other users access tools like ChatGPT for work or studying using their personal email addresses as well.

https://www.colorado.edu/today/2026/03/03/provost-ann-stevens-answers-questions-cu-system-chatgpt-agreement

Here are 5 powerful AI prompts every academic leader should know - Alcino Donadel, University Business

These prompts were created in collaboration with college and university leaders interviewed throughout this series. Administrators should share all relevant files with their chatbot before beginning their prompt. For example, administrators should upload their academic portfolio and related mission statements before beginning the first prompt.

1. Academic portfolio optimization & mission alignment

Purpose: Ensure programs advance mission, student demand and financial sustainability.

Prompt: Analyze our current academic program portfolio using enrollment trends and completion rates of the last three years, current labor-market demand in [your geographic region], instructional cost, and mission alignment.

Identify:

Programs to grow or invest in

Programs to maintain

Programs to redesign (delivery, curriculum, credentials)

Programs to sunset or consolidate

With this insight in mind, provide a three-year academic portfolio strategy that considers equity and access.

https://universitybusiness.com/here-are-5-powerful-ai-prompts-every-academic-leader-should-know/