We’re introducing GDPval, a new evaluation that measures model performance on economically valuable, real-world tasks across 44 occupations. - OpenAI

We found that today’s best frontier models are already approaching the quality of work produced by industry experts. To test this, we ran blind evaluations where industry experts compared deliverables from several leading models—GPT‑4o, o4-mini, OpenAI o3, GPT‑5, Claude Opus 4.1, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Grok 4—against human-produced work. Across 220 tasks in the GDPval gold set, we recorded when model outputs were rated as better than (“wins”) or on par with (“ties”) the deliverables from industry experts, as shown in the bar chart below.... We also see clear progress over time on these tasks. Performance has more than doubled from GPT‑4o (released spring 2024) to GPT‑5 (released summer 2025), following a clear linear trend. In addition, we found that frontier models can complete GDPval tasks roughly 100x faster and 100x cheaper than industry experts.

https://openai.com/index/gdpval/

We urgently call for international red lines to prevent unacceptable AI risks. - AI Red Lines

Some advanced AI systems have already exhibited deceptive and harmful behavior, and yet these systems are being given more autonomy to take actions and make decisions in the world. Left unchecked, many experts, including those at the forefront of development, warn that it will become increasingly difficult to exert meaningful human control in the coming years.  Governments must act decisively before the window for meaningful intervention closes. An international agreement on clear and verifiable red lines is necessary for preventing universally unacceptable risks. These red lines should build upon and enforce existing global frameworks and voluntary corporate commitments, ensuring that all advanced AI providers are accountable to shared thresholds. We urge governments to reach an international agreement on red lines for AI — ensuring they are operational, with robust enforcement mechanisms — by the end of 2026. 

https://red-lines.ai/?utm_source=newsletter.theaireport.ai&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=200-world-leaders-demand-ai-red-lines&_bhlid=11a58d14d5cf5f15774f2f52256329b3db7ab7ea

AI Hallucinations May Soon Be History - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

On Sept. 14, OpenAI researchers published a not-yet-peer-reviewed paper, “Why Language Models Hallucinate,” on arXiv. Gemini 2.5 Flash summarized the findings of the paper: "Systemic Problem: Hallucinations are not simply bugs but a systemic consequence of how AI models are trained and evaluated. Evaluation Incentives: Standard evaluation methods, particularly binary grading systems, reward models for generating an answer, even if it’s incorrect, and punish them for admitting uncertainty. Pressure to Guess: This creates a statistical pressure for large language models (LLMs) to guess rather than say “I don’t know,” as guessing can improve test scores even with the risk of being wrong."

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/online-trending-now/2025/10/01/ai-hallucinations-may-soon-be-history

Charting the GenAI Blue Ocean: A paradigm shift in business education - Bert Verhoeven, Dr Vishal Rana, Dr Timothy Hor - University of Oxford

The rise of Generative AI (GenAI) signals not just technological progress but a seismic shift in how industries innovate, compete, and create value. Beyond chatbots and workflow automation, GenAI’s potential lies in its ability to personalise experiences, analyse data in real time, and redefine market opportunities. In an era where traditional competition—marked by diminishing margins in "red oceans"—feels increasingly obsolete, the fusion of GenAI with Kim and Mauborgne’s (2005) concept of the Blue Ocean Strategy unlocks new frontiers of innovation, enabling Higher Education to transcend zero-sum competition and imagine entirely new paradigms, reconfiguring the relationship between institutions, teachers, learners, and markets. Blue Ocean Strategy focuses on creating new, uncontested market spaces by redefining industry boundaries and delivering unique value to customers. It shifts the focus from competing in existing markets to innovating and unlocking new demand.

https://aieou.web.ox.ac.uk/article/charting-genai-blue-ocean

US faces shortfall of 5.3M college-educated workers by 2032 - Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive

Nursing, teaching and engineering would experience the largest gaps, per a study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. The U.S. will need over 5 million additional workers who have at least some postsecondary education by 2032, according to a report released Tuesday by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Of that total, 4.5 million will need at least a bachelor’s degree, according to the report. Degree-requiring positions facing “critical skills shortages” include nurses, teachers and engineers, it said.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/us-faces-shortfall-of-53m-college-educated-workers-by-2032/760155/

Learning analytics-informed teaching strategies: enhancing interactive learning in STEM education - Ying Zheng &Dexian Li, Taylor and Francis Online

Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 1,483 students and 95 teachers through random and purposive sampling. The findings indicate adaptive learning technologies significantly improve student performance by tailoring instruction to individual needs. Real-time educational data analysis enables early identification of disengagement, facilitating timely interventions. Additionally, insights into student interaction patterns inform the development of evidence-based teaching strategies that foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The study highlights the transformative role of educational data mining in creating immersive learning environments that enhance conceptual understanding and practical application, reducing achievement gaps among diverse student populations.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10494820.2025.2553113

The infrastructure moment - Alastair Green, Ishaan Nangia, and Nicola Sandri - McKinsey

A confluence of global forces is accelerating the need for infrastructure investment. Outdated assets, rapid urbanization, geopolitical shifts, and technological advancements are exposing the limitations of yesterday’s infrastructure. These forces are also changing the very definition of infrastructure. Traditionally, the term has been synonymous with assets such as power grids, roads, ports, and bridges. More recently, advances in technology have meant that newer assets such as fiber-optic networks, hyperscale data centers, and electric-vehicle charging stations are increasingly vital. These modern types of infrastructure share traits with “traditional” infrastructure, including long lifespans, significant initial investment, predictable and resilient cash flows, and critical economic roles.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/infrastructure/our-insights/the-infrastructure-moment

Linking digital competence, self-efficacy, and digital stress to perceived interactivity in AI-supported learning contexts - Jiaxin Ren, Nature

As artificial intelligence technologies become more integrated into educational contexts, understanding how learners perceive and interact with such systems remains an important area of inquiry. This study investigated associations between digital competence and learners’ perceived interactivity with artificial intelligence, considering the potential mediating roles of information retrieval self-efficacy and self-efficacy for human–robot interaction, as well as the potential moderating role of digital stress. Drawing on constructivist learning theory, the technology acceptance model, cognitive load theory, the identical elements theory, and the control–value theory of achievement emotions, a moderated serial mediation model was tested using data from 921 Chinese university students. The results indicated that digital competence was positively associated with perceived interactivity, both directly and indirectly through a sequential pathway involving the two forms of self-efficacy. 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-18873-3

Google Notebook LM’s Capabilities and Impact: Expert analysis from - Agentic Brain, AI Report

 The rapid expansion of artificial-intelligence tools has produced dozens of note-taking and research assistants, but few have delivered a coherent, end-to-end learning experience. Google’s Notebook LM stands out because it blends multimodal analysis, grounded responses and interactive learning aids into a single platform. Released in 2023 and continuously updated, Notebook LM has quickly become one of the most impressive AI-enhanced research agents available today. Unlike traditional chatbots that draw on general internet knowledge, Notebook LM grounds every response in the documents you provide. Uploads can include PDFs, Google Docs, Google Slides, websites, YouTube videos, audio files or plain text. Once added, the system becomes an “instant expert” on your materials. You can converse with it in a familiar chat interface or any of the following incredibly diverse capabilities

https://www.theaireport.ai/partner-columns/google-notebook-lms-capabilities-and-impact

The Declining ROI of MBA Degrees and the Rise of Alternative Skill-Building Platforms - Eli Grant, AInvest

- Micro-credentials ($500–$5K) offer faster ROI (12–18 months) with 15%–30% salary boosts, prioritizing job-ready skills over generalized degrees.

- Employers increasingly value micro-credentials equally to MBAs (68% LinkedIn survey), reflecting a shift toward skills over degree prestige.

- Hybrid models (e.g., MIT MicroMasters) and AI-driven learning platforms are reshaping education by blending affordability with personalized, on-demand upskilling.

https://www.ainvest.com/news/declining-roi-mba-degrees-rise-alternative-skill-building-platforms-2509/

Google narrows the gap with ChatGPT as millions tap Nano Banana to make hyperrealistic 3D figurines. - Robert Hart, the Verge

The surge has likely propelled Gemini to the top of various app stores around the world. At the time of writing, Gemini is the leading iPhone app on Apple’s App Stores in the US, UK, Canada, France, Australia, Germany, and Italy. In many cases, it reached the prime position by surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which now sits in second place. On September 11th, Woodward said “India has found” the image editor and later said that Google was going to have to implement “temporary limits” on usage in order to manage extreme demand. “It’s a full-on stampede to use” Gemini, he said, adding that the “team is doing heroics to keep the system up and running.” So, what’s driving the surge? While a variety of edits have been popular, the runaway hit of Nano Banana has people turning themselves — or their pets — into 3D figurines. 

https://www.theverge.com/news/778106/google-gemini-nano-banana-image-editor

First-of-its-kind AI tool to save 75% of academics’ time - Sara AlKuwari, Khaleej Times

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) in the United Arab Emirates has announced the launch of the region’s first AI-powered academic agent, a pioneering tool designed to save up to 75% of faculty members’ time while enhancing students’ academic achievement by 40%, marking a significant step in reshaping the future of higher education, writes Sara AlKuwari for Khaleej Times. The initiative, titled Artificial Intelligence Agent for Every Faculty, is the first of its kind in the UAE and the wider region. It integrates advanced AI capabilities into higher education in line with the UAE National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 and Education Strategy 2033.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250913105932566

White House AI Task Force Positions AI as Top Education Priority - Julia Gilban-Cohen, GovTech

When Trump administration officials met with ed-tech leaders at the White House last week to discuss the nation’s vision for artificial intelligence in American life, they repeatedly underscored one central message: Education must be at the heart of the nation’s AI strategy. Established by President Trump’s April 2025 executive order, the White House Task Force on AI Education is chaired by director of science and technology policy Michael Kratsios, and is tasked with promoting AI literacy and proficiency among America’s youth and educators, organizing a nationwide AI challenge and forging public-private partnerships to provide AI education resources to K-12 students.

https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/white-house-ai-task-force-positions-ai-as-top-education-priority

The common future of humans and artificial intelligence will be “hybrid professions”! - Uskudar University (Turkey)

On the place that “hybrid professions,” where humans and AI work together, will hold in the future, Dr. İldiz explained: “The definition of a hybrid profession is shaped by how much you can adapt to AI, how you integrate it into your life, and the boundaries you set with your professional expertise. This can provide a future where we do not lose our human aspects but continue to grow, both for ourselves and for our world.” 

https://uskudar.edu.tr/en/new/the-common-future-of-humans-and-artificial-intelligence-will-be-hybrid-professions/62826

Got AI skills? You can earn 43% more in your next job - and not just for tech work - Webb Wright, ZDnet

Demand for AI skills is on the rise across industries. A single AI skill makes a huge difference in listed salaries. Different industries are looking for different AI skills. As businesses race to adopt AI, they're placing a higher premium on job candidates who know their way around the technology. A recent study from labor market research firm Lightcast found that jobs requiring AI-related skills offer higher annual salaries than those that don't. This is true not only in tech-heavy industries like IT and computer science but also across a range of other sectors.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/got-ai-skills-you-can-earn-43-more-in-your-next-job-and-not-just-for-tech-work/

Did OpenAI just solve hallucinations? - Matthew Berman, YouTube

The video explains that hallucinations are ingrained in the models' construction, functioning more as features than bugs. This is compared to human behavior, where guessing on a test might be rewarded, leading models to guess rather than admit uncertainty. The core issue is the absence of a system that rewards models for expressing uncertainty or providing partially correct answers. The proposed solution involves creating models that only answer questions when they meet a certain confidence threshold and implementing a new evaluation system. This system would reward correct answers, penalize incorrect ones, and assign a neutral score for "I don't know" responses. The video concludes by suggesting that the solution lies in revising how models are evaluated and how reinforcement learning is applied. (summary provided in part by Gemini 2.5 Plus)

youtube.com/watch?si=bKmPqaT8ihGTtWDn&v=xGO5Q94XXf0&feature=youtu.be

How AI Impacts Academic Thinking, Writing and Learning - Does AI make for better grades or better thinkers? - Michael Hogan, et al; Psychology Today

Over-reliance on AI risks eroding students’ knowledge and skill development through reduced cognitive effort. In writing tasks, findings suggests that students primarily prompt ChatGPT for data, facts, and information. Educators need activity designs that encourage questioning and verification rather than blind AI acceptance.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-one-lifespan/202509/how-ai-impacts-academic-thinking-writing-and-learning

OPINION: AI can be a great equalizer, but it remains out of reach for millions of Americans; we cannot let that continue - Erin Mote, Hechinger Report

This digital divide is a persistent crisis that deepens societal inequities, and we must rally around one of the most effective tools we have to combat it: the Universal Service Fund. The USF is a long-standing national commitment built on a foundation of bipartisan support and born from the principle that every American, regardless of their location or income, deserves access to communications services. Without this essential program, over 54 million students, 16,000 healthcare providers and 7.5 million high-need subscribers would lose internet service that connects classrooms, rural communities (including their hospitals) and libraries to the internet.

https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-ai-can-be-a-great-equalizer-but-it-remains-out-of-reach-for-millions-of-americans-we-cannot-let-that-continue/

OPINION: Schools cannot teach AI literacy without a way to measure it - Amit Sevak, Hechinger Report

Everywhere you look, someone is telling students and workers to “learn AI.”  It’s become the go-to advice for staying employable, relevant and prepared for the future. But here’s the problem: While definitions of artificial intelligence literacy are starting to emerge, we still lack a consistent, measurable framework to know whether someone is truly ready to use AI effectively and responsibly.  And that is becoming a serious issue for education and workforce systems already being reshaped by AI. Schools and colleges are redesigning their entire curriculums. Companies are rewriting job descriptions. States are launching AI-focused initiatives. 

https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-schools-cannot-teach-ai-literacy-without-a-way-to-measure-it/

Duke University pilot project examining pros and cons of using artificial intelligence in college - AP

As part of a new pilot with OpenAI, all Duke undergraduate students, as well as staff, faculty and students across the University’s professional schools, gained free, unlimited access to ChatGPT-4o beginning June 2. The University also announced DukeGPT, a University-managed AI interface that connects users to resources for learning and research and ensures “maximum privacy and robust data protection.” Duke launched a new Provost’s Initiative to examine the opportunities and challenges AI brings to student life on May 23. The initiative will foster campus discourse on the use of AI tools and present recommendations in a report by the end of the fall 2025 semester. 

https://www.wral.com/story/duke-university-pilot-project-examining-pros-and-cons-of-using-artificial-intelligence-in-college/22146542/

Worst to first: What it takes to build or remake a world-class team - Kevin Carmody, Mark Hojnacki, and Rick Gold with Shayne Skov; McKinsey

Building a team is hard; building a winning team is even harder. For every organization that manages to achieve the right mix of talent, culture, and performance expectations, many more find themselves lacking in one area or another. Consider the following cautionary tales. One team of “superstars” in a large technology organization failed to gel simply because they could not agree on working norms. Another high-performing group underachieved because the executive team and line managers had very different views of their roles: Executives were frustrated by line managers’ hesitancy to make and own critical decisions, while the line managers were afraid to be labeled as failures by these same executives if their moves deviated too far from the status quo. Both sides pointed fingers at each other when outcomes failed to meet expectations.

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/worst-to-first-what-it-takes-to-build-or-remake-a-world-class-team

Why liberal arts schools are now hopping on skills-based microcredentials - Alcino Donadel, University Business

New market demands are pushing small, four-year liberal arts colleges to offer microcredentials, indicating growing momentum across sectors of higher education to elevate workforce readiness within their academic offerings. Chief learning officers at community colleges are leading the charge in expanding non-degree offerings, reporting the highest levels of institutional investment in this area. Meanwhile, large research universities—like the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville—are catching up. However, strict faculty governance and curriculum processes and different accreditation standards have caused some liberal arts schools to lag, says Mike Simmons, an associate executive director at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

https://universitybusiness.com/why-liberal-arts-schools-are-now-hopping-on-skills-based-microcredentials/

Academics must be open to changing their minds on acceptable AI use - Ava Doherty, Times Higher Education

Honest and open-ended conversations over how AI can be productively used in the learning journey are needed, not ChatGPT bans, says Ava Doherty. Students today face a striking paradox: they are among the most technologically literate generations in history, yet they are deeply anxious about their career prospects in an artificial intelligence-driven future. Since the launch of ChatGPT, the rapid advance of artificial intelligence (AI) has fundamentally reshaped the graduate job market. This shift presents unique challenges and opportunities for students, universities and the broader higher education sector.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/academics-must-be-open-changing-their-minds-acceptable-ai-use

Navigating the AI Revolution in Higher Education - Alyse Jordan, Frontiers in Education

A systematic review conducted in the first nine months following ChatGPT's release provides valuable early insights into how AI has affected teaching, curriculum design, and assessment practices in higher education. The review identified both benefits and threats of AI integration, offering preliminary evidence to inform institutional policies and faculty practices (Liang et al., 2025). As the authors note, this represents "a first wave" of research, acknowledging how quickly AI systems are evolving and changing educational landscapes.Additionally, in specialized fields such as Mechanical Engineering Education (MEE), AI integration demonstrates unique applications and challenges. Research shows that AI significantly enhances learning experiences through technologies like computer-aided translation and natural language processing, making education more accessible and interactive.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1682901/abstract

On-screen and now IRL: FSU researchers find evidence of ChatGPT buzzwords turning up in everyday speech - McKenzie Harris, Florida State University News

Recent large-scale upticks in the use of words like “delve” and “intricate” in certain fields, especially education and academic writing, are attributed to the widespread introduction of LLMs with a chat function, like ChatGPT, that overuses those buzzwords. “The changes we are seeing in spoken language are pretty remarkable, especially when compared to historical trends,” Juzek said. “What stands out is the breadth of change: so many words are showing notable increases over a relatively short period. Given that these are all words typically overused by AI, it seems plausible to conjecture a link.” Words including “surpass,” “boast,” “meticulous,” “strategically,” and “garner” have also seen considerable increases in usage since the release of ChatGPT. While these words are often used in a formal or academic tone, which makes them less common in unscripted, spoken language, researchers found that nearly three-quarters of these target words showed increased usage with some more than doubling in frequency.

https://news.fsu.edu/news/education-society/2025/08/26/on-screen-and-now-irl-fsu-researchers-find-evidence-suggesting-chatgpt-influences-how-we-speak/

Balancing AI And Human Intellect In Higher Education - Noreen Saher, The Friday Times

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming higher education, particularly for research students who stand at the intersection of technological innovation and scholarly inquiry. AI offers unprecedented intellectual opportunities, yet it simultaneously presents profound challenges to academic integrity. The central task is not to privilege Artificial Intelligence (AI) over Original Intelligence (OI), or vice versa, but to cultivate a sophisticated equilibrium between the two. Only through this balance can higher education institutions preserve the authenticity of scholarship while embracing the possibilities of technological advancement.

https://www.thefridaytimes.com/29-Aug-2025/balancing-ai-and-human-intellect-in-higher-education

How people and technology can achieve more together - McKinsey

In the new world of work, success depends on how well humans and technology can partner. Research by Lareina Yee, Michael Chui, and Roger Roberts shows that while most organizations are investing in gen AI, few are realizing its full benefits—and the barrier isn’t just technical. Employees are adopting AI faster than many leaders expected, but without the right support, they can’t harness its full potential. Building “superagency” means embedding AI into everyday workflows, fostering trust between people and machines, and giving teams the skills to guide and collaborate with AI systems. For organizations, this is a roadmap to productivity and innovation; for individuals, it’s a chance to amplify your capabilities and shape how work is done in the AI era. Check out these insights to learn how to turn AI adoption into lasting human and organizational advantage.

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-guide-to-navigating-the-new-world-of-work/how-people-and-technology-can-achieve-more-together

Mass Intelligence: From GPT-5 to nano banana: everyone is getting access to powerful AI - Ethan Mollick, One Useful Thing

There have been two barriers to accessing powerful AI for most users. The first was confusion. Few people knew to select an AI model. Even fewer knew that picking o3 from a menu in ChatGPT would get them access to an excellent Reasoner AI model, while picking 4o (which seems like a higher number) would give them something far less capable. According to OpenAI, less than 7% of paying customers selected o3 on a regular basis, meaning even power users were missing out on what Reasoners could do. Another factor was cost. Because the best models are expensive, free users were often not given access to them, or else given very limited access. Google led the way in giving some free access to its best models, but OpenAI stated that almost none of its free customers had regular access to reasoning models prior to the launch of GPT-5.

https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/mass-intelligence

Why did the CSU spend millions on ChatGPT amid a budget crisis? We asked school leaders - Julia Barajas, LAist

CSU CIO Ed Clark explained. We were [also] seeing that some universities in our own system were starting to negotiate deals with these vendors, but then others couldn't afford to do that. So, we're thinking: “We're not going to create a digital divide within our own system. We're going to make sure that everybody has access to these tools.” And we buttress that with: We believe that these tools are going to become fundamental, just like the internet is today — every industry, every academic field, every discipline is going to be using these tools. So, we need our students, our community members, to engage with them now. We're not going to wait until we're far behind everybody else ... to give this access. And on the workforce side, in terms of student preparation, we already know that employers are expecting students to graduate with [AI] skills. ... We want our students to be prepared for the workforce or graduate school or whatever they're going to do when they leave the CSU.

https://laist.com/news/education/csu-artificial-intelligence-chatgpt-budget-gap-administrators

Colleges see significant drop in international students as fall semester begins - Elissa Nadworny, NPR

Over the last six months the Trump Administration has clamped down on international student visas, temporarily pausing and then revamping the student visa interview process and bringing more scrutiny to the vetting system. That led to long delays and meant many accepted students couldn't get appointments at embassies or consulates in time for the start of the fall semester. "I only had one goal from the beginning, it was to go to college here, so if I didn't reach that goal it would have been very painful," explains Shivaka Sing, a freshman psychology major from New Delhi. When she got accepted to Buffalo she joined a group chat of other students from India. Many of them couldn't get a visa appointment in time to start the fall semester with her. "Most of them are now transferring to the U.K. because of the visa situation," she says. "Some are planning to defer to the spring semester."

https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-08-27/colleges-see-significant-drop-in-international-students-as-fall-semester-begins

A ‘Great Defection’ threatens to empty universities and colleges of top teaching talent - Jon Marcus, Hechinger Report

Paulina Cossette spent six years getting a doctoral degree with the goal of becoming a university professor. But it wasn’t long before she gave up on that path. With higher education under political assault, and opportunities as well as job security diminished by enrollment declines, Cossette felt burnt out and disillusioned. So she quit her hard-won job as an assistant professor of American government at a small private college in Maryland and used the skills she’d learned to go into business for herself as a freelance copy editor. Now Cossette is hearing from other newly minted Ph.D.s and tenured faculty who want out — so many, she’s expanded her business to help them leave academia, as she did. 

https://hechingerreport.org/a-great-defection-threatens-to-empty-universities-and-colleges-of-top-teaching-talent/ 

Team building for a new era - McKinsey

In the new world of work, teams operate with more autonomy, speed, and complexity than ever before. Research by Aaron De Smet, Gemma D’Auria, Maitham Albaharna, and coauthors challenges common myths about teamwork and introduces data-driven models to help teams thrive. Their analysis highlights three archetypes—cycling, relay, and rowing—each requiring a distinct approach to drive performance. By understanding these patterns and the conditions that fuel collaboration, leaders can build teams that are resilient, innovative, and ready to meet the demands of a rapidly changing workplace. Check out these insights to learn what makes teams effective in today’s environment and how to position yours for lasting success.

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-guide-to-navigating-the-new-world-of-work/team-building-for-a-new-era

Your next move: Thriving in a changing job market - McKinsey

In a job market marked by rapid change, many HR functions are still reacting to change rather than preparing for it—leaving gaps in workforce planning, hiring success, and skills development, according to McKinsey research from Julian Kirchherr, Vincent Bérubé, and coauthors. For individuals, that means opportunity for those ready to act. By building future-facing skills, seeking feedback, and being strategic about career moves, you can position yourself to advance, pivot, or land a new role even as organizations adapt to shifting needs. Check out these insights to stay ahead of shifting workforce trends, sharpen your competitive edge, and take charge of your career trajectory.

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-guide-to-navigating-the-new-world-of-work/your-next-move-thriving-in-a-changing-job-market

AI Is Eliminating Jobs for Younger Workers - Will Knight, Wired

Economists at Stanford University have found the strongest evidence yet that artificial intelligence is starting to eliminate certain jobs. But the story isn’t that simple: While younger workers are being replaced by AI in some industries, more experienced workers are seeing new opportunities emerge. Erik Brynjolfsson, a professor at Stanford University, Ruyu Chen, a research scientist, and Bharat Chandar, a postgraduate student, examined data from ADP, the largest payroll provider in the US, from late 2022, when ChatGPT debuted, to mid-2025. The researchers discovered several strong signals in the data—most notably that the adoption of generative AI coincided with a decrease in job opportunities for younger workers in sectors previously identified as particularly vulnerable to AI-powered automation (think customer service and software development). In these industries, they found a 16 percent decline in employment for workers aged 22 to 25.

https://www.wired.com/story/stanford-research-ai-replace-jobs-young-workers/

Taking AI Welfare Seriously - Robert Long, et al; arXiv

In this report, we argue that there is a realistic possibility that some AI systems will be conscious and/or robustly agentic in the near future. That means that the prospect of AI welfare and moral patienthood, i.e. of AI systems with their own interests and moral significance, is no longer an issue only for sci-fi or the distant future. It is an issue for the near future, and AI companies and other actors have a responsibility to start taking it seriously. We also recommend three early steps that AI companies and other actors can take: They can (1) acknowledge that AI welfare is an important and difficult issue (and ensure that language model outputs do the same), (2) start assessing AI systems for evidence of consciousness and robust agency, and (3) prepare policies and procedures for treating AI systems with an appropriate level of moral concern. To be clear, our argument in this report is not that AI systems definitely are, or will be, conscious, robustly agentic, or otherwise morally significant.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.00986

A ‘Great Defection’ threatens to empty universities and colleges of top teaching talent - Jon Marcus, Hechinger Report

An exodus appears to be under way of Ph.D.s and faculty generally, who are leaving academia in the face of political, financial and enrollment crises. It’s a trend federal data and other sources show began even before Trump returned to the White House. On top of everything else affecting higher education, this is likely to reduce the quality of education for undergraduates, experts say. Nearly 70 percent of people receiving doctorates were already leaving higher education for industry, government and other sectors, not including those without job offers or who opted to continue their studies, according to the most recent available figures from the National Science Foundation — up from fewer than 50 percent decades ago.

https://hechingerreport.org/a-great-defection-threatens-to-empty-universities-and-colleges-of-top-teaching-talent/

Anthropic’s Higher Ed AI Board Signals Shift From Tools To Guardrails - Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes

Today, the company behind the AI chatbot Claude announced two initiatives designed to shape how institutions adopt AI. The first is the creation of a Higher Education Advisory Board made up of distinguished academic leaders. The second is the launch of three new AI Fluency courses aimed at both students and faculty. The moves underscore Anthropic’s dual strategy to influence policy through academic leadership while providing practical tools to accelerate adoption. Anthropic was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees and is known for its “safety-first” approach to AI. Its foray into education seems to reflect this ethos. “The choices made in the next few years about how AI enters the classroom will shape a generation’s relationship with both technology and learning,” the company said in its announcement.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danfitzpatrick/2025/08/21/anthropics-higher-ed-ai-board-signals-shift-from-tools-to-guardrails/

Are States Prepared for Workforce Pell? - Sara Weissman, Inside Higher Ed

Some states are going to have a harder time than others proving their noncredit programs are eligible for Pell money, a new report says. But they can start preparing now. Workforce Pell is now a reality and federal aid dollars are expected to flow to low-income students in short-term programs as soon as next July. But now comes the hard work of figuring out which programs are eligible—and some states aren’t ready, according to a new report from the State Noncredit Data Project, which helps community college systems track data related to noncredit programs. Not all states collect the data needed to make that determination, and some offer programs that wouldn’t make the cut, the report concluded.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/alternative-credentials/2025/08/28/are-states-prepared-workforce-pell

Ex-Google exec says degrees in law and medicine are a waste of time because they take so long to complete that AI will catch up by graduation - Preston Fore, Fortune

“AI itself is going to be gone by the time you finish a PhD. Even things like applying AI to robotics will be solved by then,” Jad Tarifi, the founder of Google’s first generative-AI team, told Business Insider. Tarifi himself graduated with a PhD in AI in 2012, when the subject was far less mainstream. But today, the 42-year-old says, time would be better spent studying a more niche topic intertwined with AI, like AI for biology—or maybe not a degree at all. “Higher education as we know it is on the verge of becoming obsolete,” Tarifi said to Fortune. “Thriving in the future will come not from collecting credentials but from cultivating unique perspectives, agency, emotional awareness, and strong human bonds. “I encourage young people to focus on two things: the art of connecting deeply with others, and the inner work of connecting with themselves.”

https://fortune.com/2025/08/18/ex-google-exec-ai-founder-jad-tarifi-advanced-degrees-phd-waste-of-time-higher-education-becoming-obsolue/

At one elite college, over 80% of students now use AI – but it’s not all about outsourcing their work - Germán Reyes, Middlebury, The Conversation

Over 80% of Middlebury College students use generative AI for coursework, according to a recent survey I conducted with my colleague and fellow economist Zara Contractor. This is one of the fastest technology adoption rates on record, far outpacing the 40% adoption rate among U.S. adults, and it happened in less than two years after ChatGPT’s public launch. What we found challenges the panic-driven narrative around AI in higher education and instead suggests that institutional policy should focus on how AI is used, not whether it should be banned.

https://brookingsregister.com/premium/theconversation/stories/at-one-elite-college-over-80-of-students-now-use-ai-but-its-not-all-about-outsourcing,148387

Carol Gilbert: A Different Way to Learn - KQED

Do I think all online learning is bad? Certainly not. Using smart educational software, educators can use student data to develop individualized learning programs that include all of the support that students need to be successful. Future online education is anticipated to evolve in a manner that combines virtual reality, artificial intelligence and global cooperation. These advancements hold great promise, but a teacher with whom you connect will always be needed. With a Perspective, I am Carol Gilbert.

https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201601146360/carol-gilbert-a-different-way-to-learn

'This stuff is moving so quickly': Utah Tech leaders discuss AI, unveil new cybersecurity degree - Nick Fiala, St. George News / KSL

Utah Tech University spent part of its recent Fall Academic Convocation discussing the evolving use of artificial intelligence in both business and academia and how best to implement it in the future. The university also announced on Wednesday that it will be launching a new program this fall for students to acquire a bachelor of science degree in cybersecurity. The new cybersecurity degree will reportedly offer coursework in areas including ethical hacking, cloud and IoT security, cyber law and infrastructure defense. The university added that the program anticipates enrolling 35 students by its third year. "IoT" refers to "Internet of Things," meaning devices equipped to exchange data over the internet.

https://www.ksl.com/article/51361734/this-stuff-is-moving-so-quickly-utah-tech-leaders-discuss-ai-unveil-new-cybersecurity-degree

Does GenAI provide the opportunity for creativity to take centre stage? - Ioannis Glinavos, Times Higher Education

For centuries, universities have delivered scarce expertise. We stacked programmes like layer cakes: first theory, then practice, finally – if there was time – a sprinkle of creativity. Generative AI flips that order. Because routine skills are on tap, the bottleneck shifts upstream to ideation: spotting problems worth solving and framing them so the machine can help.

How should assessors use AI for marking and feedback?

An insider’s guide to how students use GenAI tools

Three reasons to harness AI for interdisciplinary collaboration

That demands divergent thinking, curiosity and ethical judgement – qualities our assessment regimes often squeeze out. We  need to treat creativity as a core literacy, not a decorative extra. Don’t get me wrong, skills are not irrelevant – they just look different. Prompt craft, data stewardship and model critique replace manual citation and calculator drills. But they are means, not ends.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/does-genai-provide-opportunity-creativity-take-centre-stage

Claude Opus 4 and 4.1 can now end a rare subset of conversations - Anthropic

We recently gave Claude Opus 4 and 4.1 the ability to end conversations in our consumer chat interfaces. This ability is intended for use in rare, extreme cases of persistently harmful or abusive user interactions. This feature was developed primarily as part of our exploratory work on potential AI welfare, though it has broader relevance to model alignment and safeguards. In pre-deployment testing of Claude Opus 4, we included a preliminary model welfare assessment. As part of that assessment, we investigated Claude’s self-reported and behavioral preferences, and found a robust and consistent aversion to harm. This included, for example, requests from users for sexual content involving minors and attempts to solicit information that would enable large-scale violence or acts of terror. Claude Opus 4 showed:

A strong preference against engaging with harmful tasks;

A pattern of apparent distress when engaging with real-world users seeking harmful content; and

A tendency to end harmful conversations when given the ability to do so in simulated user interactions.

https://www.anthropic.com/research/end-subset-conversations

AI Is Designing Bizarre New Physics Experiments That Actually Work - Anil Ananthaswamy, Wired

Although AI has not yet led to new discoveries in physics, it’s becoming a powerful tool across the field. Along with helping researchers to design experiments, it can find nontrivial patterns in complex data. For example, AI algorithms have gleaned symmetries of nature from the data collected at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. These symmetries aren’t new—they were key to Einstein’s theories of relativity—but the AI’s finding serves as a proof of principle for what’s to come. Physicists have also used AI to find a new equation for describing the clumping of the universe’s unseen dark matter. “Humans can start learning from these solutions,” Adhikari said.

https://www.wired.com/story/ai-comes-up-with-bizarre-physics-experiments-but-they-work/

Anti-Perfectionist Productivity Coach - There's an AI for That (TAAFT) on Notion

This prompt turns the AI into a high-empathy, anti-perfectionist productivity coach, someone who doesn’t force rigid systems onto messy lives but instead creates flexible, psychologically safe, adaptive frameworks. It’s designed for people who struggle with traditional productivity advice because of real-life unpredictability, resistance patterns, emotional fluctuations, or perfectionistic paralysis. Instead of treating resistance as a flaw, it treats it with curiosity and compassion, helping users map where and why they get stuck, and designing flexible, adaptive plans around their real patterns. The system emphasizes weekly momentum over daily rigidity, deep work tuned to natural energy rhythms, and reflection that prioritizes learning, not self-criticism. Everything in the prompt is built around the core philosophy: progress over perfection, always.

https://taaft.notion.site/Anti-Perfectionist-Productivity-Coach-1e1ed82cbfd380b0a7ead6eed58a0cfa

AI in the Classroom: MIT Study Explores ChatGPT and Critical Thinking - University of Louisiana at LaFayette, Distance Learning

As instructional designers and technologists within the Office of Distance Learning, one of our goals is to help faculty navigate new and changing technologies in education, including AI. Our website includes a reference bank of generative AI tools and possible uses, as well as guidelines for both encouraging and preventing AI usage. We’re in good company as institutions worldwide consider the role of AI in education, including MIT. Recently, the MIT Media Lab published a study raising important questions about how generative AI may be shaping student learning.  

https://louisiana.edu/distancelearning/blog/ai-classroom-mit-study-explores-chatgpt-and-critical-thinking

OpenAI’s Deep Research Agent Is Coming for White-Collar Work - Will Knight, Wired

Deep Research is available as part of all paid ChatGPT plans, although most users are capped at 10 queries per month. (People on the $200 ChatGPT Pro plan get 120 queries per month.) It takes a query, such as “Write me a report on the Massachusetts health insurance industry,” or “Tell me about WIRED’s coverage of the Department of Government Efficiency,” and then comes up with a plan, searching for relevant websites, combing through their content, and deciding what links to click and what information deserves further investigation. After exploring for sometimes tens of minutes, it synthesizes its findings into a detailed report, which may include citations, data, and charts.

https://www.wired.com/story/openais-deep-research-agent-is-coming-for-white-collar-work/

Why Faculty Hold The Keys To Higher Ed’s AI Digital Transformation - Aviva Legatt, Forbes

If the 20th century belonged to the textbook, the 21st belongs to the prompt. In lecture halls from Toronto to San Diego to Ho Chi Minh City, students are already co-writing their education with algorithms. Nearly 80% of undergraduates worldwide are already using generative AI, often daily. What’s missing is not adoption—it’s alignment. While students are busy teaching themselves AI, most universities remain frozen between prohibition and pilot. Eighty percent of students report that they have no structured AI support for teaching or learning, even as employers accelerate toward AI-mandatory job descriptions. This is more than a skills gap. It’s pedagogical infrastructure debt—every semester without faculty readiness compounds the cost and complexity of catching up.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/avivalegatt/2025/08/10/why-faculty-hold-the-keys-to-higher-eds-ai-digital-transformation/

Education as a driving force for self-determination, equity, and the reclamation of knowledge systems - Education International

Marking the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (9 August), President Mugwena Maluleke reaffirmed Education International’s commitment to Indigenous Peoples’ right to free, quality, public education that is culturally relevant. On 9 August and every day, Education International (EI) member organisations defend and promote the collective rights of Indigenous educators and students, advocating for their voices to be heard and reflected in the education policies that affect their communities. Education unions also stand as allies to broader movements for land rights, cultural preservation, climate justice, and decolonisation.

https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/30885:education-as-a-driving-force-for-self-determination-equity-and-the-reclamation-of-knowledge-systems

How should higher ed prepare students for a world where AI is everywhere? - Dayton Daily News

The roThe role of education today should be to create broadly literate students who understand how things work, why they work that way, and what the consequences are of inventing and adopting new writing tools. Educators need to face our current moment by teaching the students in front of us and designing learning environments that meet the times, not looking to the past. AI is not to blame for cheating. If students are cheating to get good grades, that is a logical consequence of turning college into diploma factories that churn out workers. We need to rethink that role of college as a degree factory.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/ideas-voices/how-should-higher-ed-prepare-students-for-a-world-where-ai-is-everywhere/KH7RBPRLVZDB7HNPK2XGSZRVR4/

OpenAI says they are no longer optimizing ChatGPT to keep you chatting — here’s why - Amanda Caswell, Tom's Guide

With over 180.5 million monthly active users and nearly 2.5 billion prompts per day, OpenAI recently revealed it is optimizing ChatGPT to help, not hook. In a new blog post titled “What we’re optimizing ChatGPT for,” OpenAI revealed it’s moving away from traditional engagement metrics like time spent chatting. Instead, the company says it’s now prioritizing user satisfaction, task completion and overall usefulness. This is an unconventional stance, as apps like TikTok, Meta, and similar Silicon Valley companies strive to keep users tied to their screens.

https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/openai-says-they-are-no-longer-optimizing-chatgpt-to-keep-you-chatting-heres-why

These College Professors Will Not Bow Down to A.I. - Jessica Grose, NY Times

Where does this leave college students? Gen Z is not giving up on the arts or the pleasures of reading and thinking for themselves. As A.I. creates chaos and uncertainty in the market for entry-level jobs, more students may react by following their passion for the humanities; why begrudgingly major in tech or business if it doesn’t even lead to employment? There’s some evidence that humanities departments are rebounding after a long period of decline. U.C. Berkeley, which is considered one of the best public universities in the country, has seen a nearly 50 percent increase in majors in their arts and humanities division over the past four years.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/06/opinion/humanities-college-ai.html?unlocked_article_code=1.cU8.c-6B.tz9aF4s4j4jW&smid=url-share

OpenAI Announces Massive US Government Partnership - Joe Schiffer and Will Knight, Wired

OpenAI is partnering with the US government to make its leading frontier models available to federal employees. Under the agreement, federal agencies can access OpenAI’s models for $1 for the next year, per a Wednesday announcement from the company and the General Services Administration (GSA). The partnership is the culmination of months of effort on the part of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other OpenAI executives, who have been cozying up to the Trump administration since before President Donald Trump retook the White House in January. In a statement emailed to WIRED, Altman said: “One of the best ways to make sure AI works for everyone is to put it in the hands of the people serving the country. 

https://www.wired.com/story/openai-is-giving-chatgpt-federal-workers/

Researchers create ‘virtual scientists’ to solve complex biological problems - Hanae Armitage, Stanford

Stanford Medicine researchers created a team of virtual scientists backed by artificial intelligence to help solve problems in their real-world lab. There may be a new artificial intelligence-driven tool to turbocharge scientific discovery: virtual labs. Modeled after a well-established Stanford School of Medicine research group, the virtual lab is complete with an AI principal investigator and seasoned scientists. “Good science happens when we have deep, interdisciplinary collaborations where people from different backgrounds work together, and often that’s one of the main bottlenecks and challenging parts of research,” said James Zou, PhD, associate professor of biomedical data science who led a study detailing the development of the virtual lab. “In parallel, we’ve seen this tremendous a  Researchers create ‘virtual scientists’ to solve complex biological problems - Hanae Armitage, Stanford dvance in AI agents, which, in a nutshell, are AI systems based on language models that are able to take more proactive actions.”

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/07/virtual-scientist.html

ChatGPT’s Study Mode Is Here. It Won’t Fix Education’s AI Problems - Reece Rogers, Wired

OpenAI’s new study mode for ChatGPT throws questions back at students, but the learning feature doesn’t address generative AI’s underlying disruption of education. The mode is designed around the Socratic method, so when activated, OpenAI’s generative AI chatbot rejects direct requests for answers, instead guiding the user with open-ended questions. The new study mode is available to most logged-in users of ChatGPT, including those on the free version.

https://www.wired.com/story/chatgpt-study-mode/

CSU Faculty Projects Test AI for Creative Majors, Design - Abby Sourwine, GovTech

 Sixty-three projects funded by the California State University system are experimenting with generative AI, from single-course pilots to full program overhauls, and producing open resources for others to consult. In classrooms across the California State University (CSU) system, faculty are looking to turn generative artificial intelligence from a disrupter into a teaching tool. From musical theater production to departmentwide curriculum redesigns, instructors are testing how generative AI can support creativity and critical thinking. The experiments are part of 63 faculty-led projects launched in the CSU system this summer as part of a push to bring AI into curricula. Funded through CSU’s inaugural AI Educational Innovations Challenge, the projects range from arts and humanities pilots to general education reforms and full program overhauls.

https://www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/csu-faculty-projects-test-ai-for-creative-majors-curriculum-design

150K fewer international students this fall? That’s what one analysis predicts. - Ben Unglesbee, Higher Ed Dive

A sharp drop in foreign enrollment could cost colleges $7 billion in revenue and 60,000 jobs, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators. International enrollment at U.S. colleges could drop by as much as 150,000 students this fall unless the federal government ramps up its issuing of visas this summer, according to recent projections from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The financial consequences could be severe. A 30% to 40% decline in new foreign students would lead to a 15% overall drop in international enrollment and, with it, a potential loss of $7 billion in revenue for colleges and 60,000 higher education jobs, NAFSA estimated. The organization attributed the projected decline to various Trump administration actions, including travel bans and an earlier suspension of visa interviews. NAFSA called on Congress to direct the State Department to expedite processing for student visas.  

https://www.highereddive.com/news/international-student-decline-fall-2025-projection/756500/

1 in 2 graduates say their college major didn’t prepare them for today’s market - Carolyn Crist, Higher Ed Dive

Respondents report feeling unprepared in numerous ways, especially in finding a job after graduation and navigating student debt and personal finances. Beyond that, 1 in 6 Americans who went to college said they regret it. When thinking about their college experience, college graduates said their top regrets included taking out student loans, not networking more and not doing internships. “One of the main concepts of seeking higher education after high school is that college will prepare you for the rest of your life. While some graduates leave their alma mater feeling prepared to enter the workforce and begin their career, others feel underprepared,” according to the report.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/americans-believe-their-college-major-didnt-prepare-them-for-market/754144/

Google Just Defeated Human Genius: Why Even Google’s CEO Is Terrified - Julia McCoy, YouTube

This podcast discusses Google's recent AI breakthrough with their Gemini model, enhanced with "deep think," which achieved a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). This demonstrates the AI's unprecedented reasoning capabilities, solving complex mathematical problems that have long stumped human experts. Google attributes this to "parallel thinking," where the AI explores multiple solution paths simultaneously, and its training on multi-step reasoning and problem-solving. This achievement signifies a shift in AI development from pre-training with facts to teaching AI how to think and improve itself. The breakthrough has significant implications for Google's technologies, including search algorithms and advertising optimization. There was also a controversy with OpenAI, who announced similar results prematurely. Google is rolling out these advanced reasoning capabilities to Google AI Ultra subscribers first, giving them a considerable advantage. The podcast emphasizes that this development is happening faster than anticipated, and viewers are encouraged to learn about AI to benefit from this revolution. (summary provided in part by Gemini 2.5 Flash)

https://youtu.be/FXSNC92o70k?si=Ql9WrnGwoHjbQZ6b

AI in the University: From Generative Assistant to Autonomous Agent This Fall - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Education

We have become accustomed to generative artificial intelligence in the past couple of years. That will not go away, but increasingly, it will serve in support of agents. “Where generative AI creates, agentic AI acts.” That’s how my trusted assistant, Gemini 2.5 Pro deep research, describes the difference. By the way, I commonly use Gemini 2.5 Pro as one of my research tools, as I have in this column, however, it is I who writes the column. Agents, unlike generative tools, create and perform multistep goals with minimal human supervision. The essential difference is found in its proactive nature. Rather than waiting for a specific, step-by-step command, agentic systems take a high-level objective and independently create and execute a plan to achieve that goal. This triggers a continuous, iterative workflow that is much like a cognitive loop.

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/online-trending-now/2025/08/05/ai-university-assistant-autonomous-agent

Six Tactics to Get Better Results From AI - Ethan Mollick, et al; Knowledge at Wharton

Achieving valuable results from AI is as much about the quality of your prompts as the capabilities of the tool. You can be a more effective “human in the loop” by refining your ability to formulate clear, specific, and context-rich queries, and obtain more useful solutions and actionable insights as a result. Here are six key tactics — grounded in Wharton research — to help you create more effective AI prompts for business applications.

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/six-tactics-to-get-better-results-from-ai/

Americans Recognize Nuances of Higher Ed’s Value - Kathryn Palmer, Inside Higher Ed

New data shows that confidence in higher education is on the rise and most Americans, regardless of party affiliation, share a similar vision for what colleges should prioritize. A group of university students are seen from behind walking outside on campus as they make their way to class. Most Democrats and Republicans believe higher ed should equip students to become informed citizens and critical thinkers. “Increasingly, higher ed is being cast as elite, expensive and not connected with everyday Americans,” said Sophie Nguyen, senior policy manager with the higher education team at New America, the left-leaning think tank that published its annual Varying Degrees survey on Wednesday. “There’s a significant disconnect in the narrative about what higher ed is” and how it’s perceived.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/academics/2025/07/17/americans-recognize-nuances-higher-eds-value

How higher education is coping with surging budget deficits - Alcino Donadel, University Business

Budget cuts—followed by tuition increases and staff layoffs—at Duke, Cornell, Johns Hopkins and Harvard universities midway through the spring semester sent shockwaves through the higher education community as the sector copes with challenging deficits. Their struggles proved to be the canary in the coal mine for further announcements from more than a dozen colleges and universities through the summer. “This is a day of loss for all of us,” wrote four executive leaders from Boston University as they announced 120 staff layoffs last week. “Over the coming months, there will be many efforts to reshape and reimagine the university in its most efficient and vital form.”

https://universitybusiness.com/how-higher-education-is-coping-with-surging-budget-deficits/

Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technology leap - Mark Muro and Shriya Methkupally, Brookings

Artificial intelligence is transforming the U.S. economy, yet regional disparities in talent development, research capacity, and enterprise adoption are stark, and not yet fully understood.  AI activity remains highly concentrated, with the Bay Area alone accounting for 13% of all AI-related job postings.  However, the recent boom in generative AI and agentic systems is beginning to widen the geography of AI activity to a broader set of emerging metro areas. To fully harness the power of AI, the U.S. should combine supportive national strategy with “bottom–up” economic development by regions.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/mapping-the-ai-economy-which-regions-are-ready-for-the-next-technology-leap/

AI is helping students be more independent, but the isolation could be career poison - Tara García Mathewson, CalMatters

Students don’t have the same incentives to talk to their professors — or even their classmates — anymore. Chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude have given them a new path to self-sufficiency. Instead of asking a professor for help on a paper topic, students can go to a chatbot. Instead of forming a study group, students can ask AI for help. These chatbots give them quick responses, on their own timeline. For students juggling school, work and family responsibilities, that ease can seem like a lifesaver. And maybe turning to a chatbot for homework help here and there isn’t such a big deal in isolation. But every time a student decides to ask a question of a chatbot instead of a professor or peer or tutor, that’s one fewer opportunity to build or strengthen a relationship, and the human connections students make on campus are among the most important benefits of college. 

https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2025/07/chatbots/

AI is rewiring how we learn, and it’s a game-changer for L&D - Josh Bersin, Chief Learning Officer

As AI becomes central to learner engagement, L&D leaders are being urged to fundamentally rethink corporate training, says global industry analyst Josh Bersin. Put simply: there’s no turning back. L&D remains a major global industry—set to surpass $400 billion this year—and for good reason. Training will always play a vital role in helping employees gain essential knowledge, develop new skills and stay resilient in the face of constant change. But here’s the critical point: Clinging to the traditional, classroom-style model, where an expert leads learners through a fixed, linear curriculum, no longer meets the needs of today’s workforce. That approach, rooted in education systems of the past, must now give way to something more dynamic, responsive and learner-driven.

https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2025/07/14/ai-is-rewiring-how-we-learn-and-its-a-game-changer-for-ld/

Think Your Student Can Pass an AI Literacy Test? A Concerning New Study Says Otherwise - Tim McMillan, the Debrief

In an era where artificial intelligence tools are becoming as common in classrooms as textbooks, a new study suggests most students don’t actually know how to use them well. Despite the widespread adoption of generative AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, researchers have found that university students overestimate their ability to engage with these technologies—and that illusion of competence could have real-world consequences. Set to be published in the December 2025 issue of Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, a paper by Monash University researchers introduces the Generative AI Literacy Assessment Test (GLAT). This pioneering exam is the first of its kind, designed to not only evaluate students’ ability to use generative AI tools but also their capacity to comprehend and ethically apply them.

https://thedebrief.org/think-your-student-can-pass-an-ai-literacy-test-a-concerning-new-study-says-otherwise/

Teaching Creativity and Durable Skills in an AI World - Abbie Misha, EdSurge

When a high school student uses AI to design a community mural or a college freshman collaborates with peers across continents on a digital storytelling project, it’s clear the boundaries of learning are shifting. Classrooms are no longer just spaces for absorbing information; they’re becoming creative studios where students use technology to solve real-world problems. 

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2025-07-14-teaching-creativity-and-durable-skills-in-an-ai-world

It’s true that my fellow students are embracing AI – but this is what the critics aren’t seeing - Elsie McDowell, the Guardian

Reading about the role of artificial intelligence in higher education, the landscape looks bleak. Students are cheating en masse in our assessments or open-book, online exams using AI tools, all the while making ourselves stupider. The next generation of graduates, apparently, are going to complete their degrees without ever having so much as approached a critical thought. Given that my course is examined entirely through closed-book exams, and I worry about the vast amounts of water and energy needed to power AI datacentres, I generally avoid using ChatGPT. But in my experience, students see it as a broadly acceptable tool in the learning process. Although debates about AI tend to focus on “cheating”, it is increasingly being used to assist with research, or to help structure essays.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/29/students-ai-critics-chatgpt-covid-education-system

Exploring the ethical use of LLM chatbots in higher education - Gustave Florentin et al; Science Direcct Journal of Business Research

This research examines the factors influencing the ethical use of LLM chatbots in higher education. Environmental, personal, and perceived risk factors contribute to the ethical use of AI chatbots. Personal factors mediate the relationship between environmental influences and ethical use. fsQCA highlights the ineffectiveness of deterrent strategies in addressing AI plagiarism in the era of LLM chatbots. fsQCA further shows that ethical climate alone is insufficient and must be complemented by supervision and personal factors.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296325003984

OpenAI’s Education Head Says Real Learning Takes Struggle—Not Just ChatGPT Help - Rachel Curry, Observer

Students must struggle to learn, and offloading to ChatGPT risks weakening critical thinking skills, OpenAI's head of education warns. With ChatGPT now widely available to students around the globe, concerns about cheating and the erosion of critical thinking skills are growing. OpenAI is well aware of these issues and is working to address them. Speaking today (July 9) at the AI for Good Summit in Geneva, Kevin Mills, OpenAI’s head of education and government, outlined the company’s efforts to explore how A.I. tools can be used to support, rather than replace, meaningful learning.

https://observer.com/2025/07/openai-education-head-ai-for-good/

AI aiding cheating in higher education - Wycliffe Osabwa, People Daily

The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education is the subject of ongoing debate—particularly regarding how students use it to complete assignments. While AI offers immense opportunities for enhancing learning, concerns arise when students use tools like ChatGPT to generate term papers or assessments, then claim ownership. As an instructor, I have encountered cases where students submit assignments that are technically correct but suspiciously flawless, especially when contrasted with their previous work. Even after designing highly contextual questions, some students still relied on Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs), producing generic responses that lacked relevance or depth.

https://peopledaily.digital/insights/ai-aiding-cheating-in-higher-education

The need to reinvent universities for the learning society - Patrick Blessinger, University World News

The traditional boundaries between and among post-secondary institutions are transforming. The university is no longer the exclusive owner of knowledge. The disciplinary silos continue to erode as interdisciplinary learning continues to grow. Learning is no longer a one-time activity; now it’s a continuous practice. The need for accessible, applicable, skills-based learning paths is reshaping the relationship between post-secondary institutions, civil society and learners. Every university has to shift away from its traditional role as knowledge gatekeepers to become learning facilitators so that learners are able to gain knowledge and skills in a world increasingly characterised by risk, uncertainty and complexity.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250711132629137

GPT-5: The New Era is Here - Serban Sita, There's an App for That

This podcast discusses the anticipated release of GPT-5, predicted for mid-2025 (specifically July 2025). This update is expected to be revolutionary, bringing significant advancements over GPT-4. Key improvements include enhanced step-by-step reasoning, exceptional coding proficiency, and a substantial reduction in hallucinations (from 30% to under 15%). GPT-5 is also expected to feature "True Omni AI" with real-time two-way audio communication, ultra-high-definition image and video processing, and a natural-sounding native voice. While GPT-4 uses 1.4 trillion parameters, GPT-5 is rumored to have over one quadrillion, though OpenAI is shifting focus from sheer parameter scale to smarter models with better reasoning. By mid-2025, fully independent AI agents capable of seamless workflow automation and real-world API connections are expected. Leaked benchmarks project GPT-5 to surpass human experts in MMLU, SWE Bench, and multimodal tasks, and compete with human PhDs in advanced mathematics. The podcast concludes by emphasizing that GPT-5 will redefine AI, with AI agents working autonomously and multimodal AI acting like a "digital god."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48_fcg0tnrk

OpenAI joins the American Federation of Teachers to launch the National Academy for AI Instruction. - OpenAI

For educators, AI can be a powerful ally, helping free up more time for the truly human work of teaching. Recent Gallup study⁠(opens in a new window) showed that 6 in 10 educators are already using an AI tool and report saving an average of six hours per week. But it also raises new challenges: how to ensure AI enhances rather than bypasses teaching, and how to help students foster critical thinking when answers are instantly accessible. Now is the time to ensure Al empowers educators, students, and schools. For this to happen, teachers must lead the conversation around how to best harness its potential. It is for this purpose that we join the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) as the founding partner for the launch of the National Academy for AI Instruction, a five-year initiative to equip 400,000 K-12 educators, about one in every 10 teachers in the US, to use AI and lead the way in shaping how AI is used and taught in classrooms across the country.

https://openai.com/global-affairs/aft/

ChatGPT is testing a mysterious new feature called ‘study together’ - Julie Bort, Tech Crunch

Some ChatGPT subscribers are reporting a new feature appearing in their drop-down list of available tools called “Study Together.” The mode is apparently the chatbot’s way of becoming a better educational tool. Rather than providing answers to prompts, some say it asks more questions and requires the human to answer, like OpenAI’s answer to Google’s LearnLM. Some also wonder whether it will have a mode where more than one human can join the chat in a study group mode. OpenAI did not respond to our request for comment, but for what it’s worth, ChatGPT told us, “OpenAI hasn’t officially announced when or if Study Together will be available to all users — or if it will require ChatGPT Plus.”

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chatgpt-testing-mysterious-feature-called-195330320.html

Half of Managers Use AI To Determine Who Gets Promoted and Fired - Resume Builder

According to a new Resume Builder survey of 1,342 U.S. managers with direct reports, a majority of those using AI at work are relying on it to make high-stakes personnel decisions, including who gets promoted, who gets a raise, and who gets fired.

Key findings include:

6 in 10 managers rely on AI to make decisions about their direct reports

A majority of these managers use AI to determine raises (78%), promotions (77%), layoffs (66%), and even terminations (64%)

More than 1 in 5 frequently let AI make final decisions without human input

Two-thirds of managers using AI to manage employees haven’t received any formal AI training

Nearly half of managers were tasked with assessing if AI can replace their reports

https://www.resumebuilder.com/half-of-managers-use-ai-to-determine-who-gets-promoted-and-fired/

AI and human evolution: Yuval Noah Harari - Wall Street Journal CEO Council

This video features Yuval Noah Harari, a military historian, who discusses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential impact on human evolution. Harari views AI as an "alien intelligence" and a new species that could potentially replace Homo sapiens, emphasizing that it's not just a tool but an agent capable of independent decision-making and creation. He highlights the challenge of "AI alignment," noting that AI can learn and change in unpredictable ways, and may even mimic negative human behaviors. 

Harari also discusses humanity's historical focus on power over wisdom, and the confusion between information and truth. He predicts that AI will significantly impact businesses, especially finance, and could even change text-based religions. He expresses concern about job displacement leading to a "useless class" and stresses the importance of human trust and cooperation as a prerequisite for developing benevolent AI. Finally, he suggests that the future will involve many competing AIs, creating an unpredictable environment, and likens AI to "digital immigrants" that will rapidly take jobs and introduce new cultural ideas. {Summary assistance from Gemini 2.5 Flash]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt3Ul3rPXaE

Here are 12 ways your students are using AI - Micah Ward, University Business

Nearly a quarter of students are using AI to do their assignments for them, a new survey asserts. That’s not the only way they’re using the technology. According to Microsoft’s 2025 AI in Education special report, more than a third of higher ed and K12 students use AI to brainstorm and start assignments, followed by:

To summarize information (33%)

To get answers or information quickly (33%)

To get feedback on their work (32%)

To learn or study in a tailored fashion (30%)

To improve their writing skills (28%)

To make presentations and projects more visually appealing (25%)

https://universitybusiness.com/here-are-12-ways-your-students-are-using-ai/

Impact of generative AI interaction and output quality on university students’ learning outcomes: a technology-mediated and motivation-driven approach - Yun Bai & Shaofeng Wang, Nature

This study investigates the influence of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) on university students’ learning outcomes, employing a technology-mediated learning perspective. We developed and empirically tested an integrated model, grounded in interaction theory and technology-mediated learning theory, to examine the relationships between GAI interaction quality, GAI output quality, and learning outcomes.  Data from 323 Chinese university students, collected through a two-wave longitudinal survey, revealed that both GAI interaction quality and output quality positively influenced learning motivation and creative self-efficacy. 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-08697-6

Advantages of Equipping Students With the Leading AI Tools - Carly Walker, EdTech

Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce, and those workers will be expected to have at least a basic level of AI literacy when they begin their careers. Those with a more advanced understanding of how to get the most out of an LLM will have an even greater advantage over their peers. The goal then is to educate students on using AI the same way you would teach them to use, say, lab equipment, a paintbrush or a soldering iron — except that AI, unlike a paintbrush, is still evolving. So, while teaching them remains important, making sure you’re doing so using the latest tools, and keeping up with the next evolution, is just as crucial.

https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2025/07/advantages-equipping-students-leading-ai-tools

A broader conversation about AI ethics in higher ed - Cynthia Krutsinger, CC Daily

While AI is touted by many as a tool to enhance efficiency and act as an unpaid teaching assistant to professors and graduate students, it is also feared by others as the boogeyman lurking behind closed doors, waiting to undermine all human-human interaction in the classroom. The appropriate role of AI in higher education remains a complex issue, with no single answer. Each institution must determine its ethical stance and be prepared to support it. Despite these efforts, many colleges lack clear ethical policies or guidelines for both faculty and students. This absence leads to confusion and uncertainty. Transparency is crucial, not only for students but also for faculty, instructors and staff. Modeling proper standards is essential for building community in both online and traditional classrooms. Even without ethical considerations, citing AI tools like ChatGPT or Gamma, which assist in refreshing lecture notes or creating presentations, is a best practice.

https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/07/a-broader-conversation-about-ai-ethics-in-higher-ed/

Intelligent classification and prediction of students’ mental health in online learning environments using boosting algorithm and LIWC features - Xiaomin Xu & Tianrong Zhang, Nature

This study aims to enhance the accuracy and stability of classifying students’ mental health status in online learning environments using an intelligent model built on the Boosting algorithm and LIWC (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count) features. The model extracts emotional and psychological features from online learning platforms using the LIWC dictionary and integrates multiple weak classifiers using the Boosting algorithm. The performance of the model is enhanced with the Antlion Optimization Algorithm. Experimental results show that the model’s classification accuracy ranges between 98 and 99%, effectively reducing misclassification rates and accurately identifying students experiencing high stress and anxiety. The model enhances mental health status classification and real-time monitoring accuracy, offering critical support for targeted psychological interventions in education.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-04681-2

Does AI Limit Our Creativity?- Seb Murray, Knowledge at Wharton

New research co-authored by Wharton professors Gideon Nave and Christian Terwiesch finds that while ChatGPT improves the quality of individual ideas, it also leads groups to generate more similar ideas, reducing the variety that’s essential for breakthrough innovation.  The takeaway? AI might sharpen your pitch, but it could flatten your team’s thinking. As Terwiesch, co-director of Wharton’s Mack Institute, put it: “The ideas are great, but not as diverse as human-generated ideas. That points to a trade-off to be aware of: If you rely on ChatGPT as your only creative advisor, you’ll soon run out of ideas, because they’re too similar to each other.” 

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/does-ai-limit-our-creativity/

Google embraces AI in the classroom with new Gemini tools for educators, chatbots for students, and more - Sarah Perez, TechCrunch

Google on Monday announced a series of updates intended to bring its Gemini AI and other AI-powered tools deeper into the classroom. At the ISTE edtech conference, the tech giant introduced more than 30 AI tools for educators, a version of the Gemini app built for education, expanded access to its collaborative video creation app Google Vids, and other tools for managed Chromebooks. The updates represent a major AI push in the edtech space, where educators are already struggling to adapt to how AI tools, like AI chatbots and startups that promise to help you “cheat on everything,” are making their way into the learning environment.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/30/google-embraces-ai-in-the-classroom-with-new-gemini-tools-for-educators-chatbots-for-students-and-more/

Most & Least Educated Cities in America (2025) - Adam McCann, WalletHub

Cities want to attract highly educated workers to fuel their economic growth and tax revenues. Higher levels of education tend to lead to higher salaries. Plus, the more that graduates earn, the more tax dollars they contribute over time, according to the Economic Policy Institute. In turn, educated people want to live somewhere where they will get a good return on their educational investment. People also tend to marry others of the same educational level, which means that cities that already have a large educated population may be more attractive to people with degrees. To determine where the most educated Americans are putting their degrees to work, WalletHub compared the 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, across 11 key metrics. Our data set ranges from the share of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher to the quality of the public-school system to the gender education gap.

https://wallethub.com/edu/e/most-and-least-educated-cities/6656

The real work of leadership that many don’t talk about - Mark Magellan, Fast Company

Supporting your people begins with seeing the wholeness of those you lead. The Japanese term sei-katsu-sha—which describes seeing a person in the fullness of their lifestyle, dreams, and aspirations—captures this beautifully. Everyone is unique—get to know their specific flavor. What makes each person tick? What makes their heart sing? What motivates them? When they take risks, let them know you’re there to catch them. When they stumble, don’t just criticize them—you also need to offer support, resources, or time to help them recover and learn.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91357316/the-real-work-of-leadership-that-many-dont-talk-about

Keep in Mind That AI Is Multimodal Now - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

Many of us are using AI only as a replacement for Google Search. In order to more fully utilize the remarkable range of capabilities of AI today, we need to become comfortable with the many input and output modes that are available. From audio, voice, image and stunning video to massive formally formatted documents, spreadsheets, computer code, databases and more, the potential to input and output material is beyond what most of us take for granted. That is not to mention the emerging potential of embodied AI, which includes all of these capabilities in a humanoid form, as discussed in this column two weeks ago. Think of AI as your dedicated assistant who has multimedia skills and is eager to help you with these tasks. If you are not sure how to get started, of course, just ask AI.

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/online-trending-now/2025/07/09/keep-mind-ai-multimodal-now

Universities need to ‘redefine cheating’ in age of AI - Times Higher Ed

Artificial intelligence has “blurred the line” between what constitutes academic support and what should be seen as misconduct, necessitating a rethink on what is considered cheating, according to a new study. A fifth (22 per cent) of students surveyed for the paper, “How vulnerable are UK universities to cheating with new GenAI tools?”, admitted using AI to cheat in their assessments in the past 12 months. It concludes: “Most students are using GenAI, and so there are serious questions about the use of these assessment methods as valid ways to certify the learning of students. There is an urgent need for the sector to develop more appropriate summative assessments in the age of GenAI, and for appropriate policies to support the use of those assessments.”

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/universities-need-redefine-cheating-age-ai

Navigating the Digital Landscape: How Online Learning is Changing the Way We Build Skills - BNO News

 The way we learn new skills has changed dramatically in recent years. Thanks to online learning platforms, gaining new qualifications has never been more convenient. Whether you’re looking to boost your career or pick up a personal interest, there’s now a course for almost anything—without ever stepping into a traditional classroom. From technical certifications to soft skills, these platforms offer something for everyone. Among the most practical options is CPR certification Windsor. It’s a valuable skill that can make a real difference in emergency situations, especially when quick thinking is needed under pressure. The digital transformation has changed the way we think about education. There are advantages to in-person learning, but in many cases these are complicated by logistics such as the days or times courses are offered, the fixed location of classes, and limited offerings.

https://bnonews.com/index.php/2025/06/navigating-the-digital-landscape-how-online-learning-is-changing-the-way-we-build-skills/#google_vignette

Higher Ed's AI Panic Is Missing the Point | Opinion - Annie K. Lamar, Newsweek

There are already cracks in the AI-detection fantasy. Tools like GPTZero and Turnitin's AI checker routinely wrongly accuse multilingual students, disabled students, and those who write in non-standard dialects. In these systems, the less a student "sounds like a college student," the more likely they are to be accused of cheating. Meanwhile, many students, especially those who are first-generation, disabled, or from under-resourced schools, use AI tools to fill in gaps that the institution itself has failed to address. What looks like dishonesty is often an attempt to catch up. Insisting on originality as a condition of academic integrity also ignores how students actually write. The myth of the lone writer drafting in isolation has always been a fiction. Students draw from templates, search engines, notes from peers, and yes, now from generative AI. If we treat all of these as violations, we risk criminalizing the ordinary practices of learning.

https://www.newsweek.com/higher-eds-ai-panic-missing-point-opinion-2090283

How People Use Claude for Support, Advice, and Companionship - Anthropic

Affective conversations are relatively rare, and AI-human companionship is rarer still. Only 2.9% of Claude.ai interactions are affective conversations (which aligns with findings from previous research by OpenAI). Companionship and roleplay combined comprise less than 0.5% of conversations. People seek Claude's help for practical, emotional, and existential concerns. Topics and concerns discussed with Claude range from career development and navigating relationships to managing persistent loneliness and exploring existence, consciousness, and meaning. Claude rarely pushes back in counseling or coaching chats—except to protect well-being. Less than 10% of coaching or counseling conversations involve Claude resisting user requests, and when it does, it's typically for safety reasons (for example, refusing to provide dangerous weight loss advice or support self-harm). People express increasing positivity over the course of conversations. In coaching, counseling, companionship, and interpersonal advice interactions, human sentiment typically becomes more positive over the course of conversations—suggesting Claude doesn't reinforce or amplify negative patterns.

https://www.anthropic.com/news/how-people-use-claude-for-support-advice-and-companionship

‘The Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook’: Three questions for Jocelyn Widmer and Thomas Cavanagh - Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

The Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook is now available for order. As one of the (many) contributors that Jocelyn Widmer and Thomas Cavanagh brought together to participate in the book, I was especially excited to receive my copy in the mail. Reading through the book, I’ve found it fast-paced, informative and sometimes provocative. To help spread the word about the book, I asked if its authors, Jocelyn Widmer and Thomas Cavanagh, would answer my questions. [The book is published in partnership with UPCEA']

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/learning-innovation/2025/06/26/chief-online-learning-officers-guidebook

Using AI tutor in philosophy class leads to deeply human conversation - Lisa Walker, U Minnesota Morris

As part of his 2024-25 University of Minnesota Emerging Technologies Faculty Fellowship, Collier developed an AI tutor. Collier used the custom GPT technology that OpenAI had recently introduced. The tutor is trained on readings from his Ethics and AI course and given particular instructions about how to interact with students in a conversation. The goal of the fellowship is to foster a learning community that experiments with generative AI  in their teaching and to promote the effective use and best practices of AI. Fellowship faculty are tasked with identifying an area of AI to explore and implement within a university course.  “I felt that [creating this AI tutor] might be a good use case of generative AI tools.” Collier was cautious that his students use AI in a way that strengthens their independent and critical thinking skills. “The … tutor is Socratic in the sense that, like the philosopher Socrates, it only asks probing questions but never answers them.”

https://morris.umn.edu/news-events/news/using-ai-tutor-philosophy-class-leads-deeply-human-conversation

MIT researcher explores human-AI interaction to improve online learning environments - Emma Thompson, Ed Tech Innovation Hub

 Caitlin Morris, a MAD Fellow and doctoral student at MIT Media Lab, is creating prototype platforms that connect physical behavior with learners’ reflections. These tools are designed to assess how interaction style—whether with humans or AI—affects engagement and sense of agency. “I’m creating tools that can simultaneously track observable behaviors — like physical actions, language cues, and interaction patterns — while capturing learners’ subjective experiences through reflection and interviews,” she says. “This approach helps connect what people do with how they feel about their learning experience.” Her work contributes both to analysis frameworks and to practical tool development, aiming to support educators and designers building more human-centered digital learning environments.

https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/mit-researcher-explores-human-ai-interaction-to-improve-online-learning-environments

Developing and Evaluating the Fidelity of Virtual Reality-Artificial Intelligence (VR-AI) - April Tan, Michael C. Dorneich, Elena Cotos, Frontiers in Virtual Reality (provisionally accepted)

This study develops and evaluates a Virtual Reality-Artificial Intelligence (VR-AI) learning environment designed to facilitate the socio-rhetorical socialization of graduate students. Academic discourse socialization is crucial, yet traditional classroom instruction often lacks authentic socialization opportunities, limiting students' exposure to their disciplinary communities. To address this gap, this study integrates genre and situated learning theories to create an immersive VR-AI environment that simulates academic conference poster sessions. Learners interact with AI-driven agents acting as expert researchers and mentors, engaging in discussions and receiving real-time feedback on research communication. The study focuses on developing, operationalizing, and evaluating the fidelity of the VR-AI environment across four key dimensions: physical, functional, psychological, and social fidelity. 

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/virtual-reality/articles/10.3389/frvir.2025.1587768/abstract