Student AI use is fuelling grade inflation – Berkeley study - Nathan M Greenfield, University World News

Over the past month, Atlantic Monthly, Harvard Magazine, the (conservative) National Review and Nature have published articles decrying grade inflation. Together, they pointed to the ‘usual suspects’: spineless professors; coddled students demanding to be treated like the customers administrators say they are; and the general decline in rigorous academic standards. In his just-published paper “Artificial Intelligence and Grade Inflation”, Dr Igor Chirikov, a senior researcher at the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Studies in Higher Education, adds a new perpetrator: the effect of students using artificial intelligence to help write essays or code when working outside of professorial supervision. Chirikov’s study of eight years of course syllabi and grades at a research-intensive university in Texas found that courses that were more exposed to AI assistance (meaning they had a larger share of tasks in which AI assistance is stronger) saw a marked increase in higher grades after the advent of ChatGPT in 2022.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20260514074518988

The Case for Data Centers in Space- McKinsey

Starcloud CEO Philip Johnston on the potential role orbital data centers could play in meeting growing AI compute demand—and the technical and economic uncertainties that remain. Philip Johnston, a McKinsey alumnus and cofounder of orbital compute infrastructure provider Starcloud, believes that space-based systems could become a meaningful part of the future compute landscape. He recently spoke to McKinsey Partner Luca Bennici about how the space-based data center technology is evolving, the challenges involved, and what needs to happen for orbital data centers to become a viable complement to terrestrial infrastructure. The interview transcript has been edited for clarity and style.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-case-for-data-centers-in-space

‘Student Guide to AI’ returns for third year with a new focus: Human capabilities - Elon University News Bureau

“Human Wisdom for the Age of AI: A Field Guide to Cultivating Essential Skills”, a publication by Elon University, the American Association of Colleges and Universities and The Princeton Review, is provided to students and institutions free of charge. The new publication, “Human Wisdom for the Age of AI: A Field Guide to Cultivating Essential Skills,” helps students cultivate the human skills they need to thrive in a digital world, whether working with AI technologies or learning independently of those tools. The guide includes engaging and fun exercises on curiosity, critical and deep thinking, creativity, ethical perspectives, communication and relational skills, among others. Like the 2024 and 2025 editions, this year’s guide is provided to students and institutions free of charge and is available for download at: www.studentguidetoai.org. The guide draws on 10 voices across centuries and cultures — from Aristotle, Cicero and Descartes to Mencius and Ptahhotep — whose enduring insights into human judgment, creativity, ethics and wisdom take on new urgency as AI reshapes how we learn and work.

https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2026/05/12/student-guide-to-ai-returns-for-third-year-with-a-new-focus-human-capabilities/

AI risk to university jobs despite staff believing roles are safe - Juliette Rowsell, Times Higher Ed

University workers generally do not believe that their jobs will be taken by artificial intelligence in the short term but experts have warned against complacency, saying that automation may still be used as “justification” to cut roles anyway. While respondents to Times Higher Education’s UK University Redundancy Survey expressed widespread concern about the impact of the tens of thousands of job losses across the UK sector, concerns over the effect of AI remain low. Asked: “Do you fear you will be made redundant within the next three years due to the rise of AI?” more than half (55 per cent) disagreed, with 17 per cent of these strongly disagreeing. Just under 5 per cent strongly agreed and 14 per cent said they agree, while a fifth (21 per cent) neither agreed or disagreed.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ai-risk-university-jobs-despite-staff-believing-roles-are-safe

In an AI-driven world, the most important skills are still human - Eric Townsend, Inside Higher Ed

Across higher education, artificial intelligence is now embedded in everyday academic work, from early research to final drafts. For many students, it has become a default starting point. The urgent question is not whether students use AI, but how they use it—specifically, whether these tools are reinforcing learning or bypassing the cognitive work that leads to it. As AI accelerates core academic tasks, educators are confronting a central challenge: how to preserve depth, judgment and intellectual engagement in an environment optimized for speed.

https://www.highereddive.com/spons/in-an-ai-driven-world-the-most-important-skills-are-still-human/819282/

Chico State’s 2026-27 Book in Common to Tackle Artificial Intelligence - Chico State

The AI Con is a thought-provoking work examining the rise of artificial intelligence and its far-reaching impacts on society, education and the economy. The selection comes amid heightened interest and debate surrounding AI technologies, including within higher education. Co-authored by a University of Washington linguistics professor and a former Google employee, the book takes a critical look at artificial intelligence, exploring how it functions, the realities behind its rapid expansion, and the social, ethical and environmental implications of its use. Topics include the influence of AI on jobs and creative industries, concerns about academic integrity, and the environmental costs associated with large-scale data centers. “AI is now part of nearly every aspect of our lives,” Mahlis said. “This book helps readers understand not just what AI does, but how it works, and encourages us to question both the hype and the real consequences.”

https://today.csuchico.edu/chico-states-2026-27-book-in-common-to-tackle-artificial-intelligence/

A year in, what’s on Pope Leo XIV’s to-do list? And what has he done so far? (AI) - NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press

While some would say the top issue facing Leo is his relationship with President Donald Trump and a possible trip to the U.S. — none is planned this year — Leo would probably point to his long-awaited first encyclical. Expected in the next few weeks, it deals with artificial intelligence and other peace and justice issues. Leo already has said he considers the AI revolution to be similar in existential scope to the concerns over workers’ rights at the turn of the century confronted by the previous Pope Leo XIII, in his landmark encyclical “Rerum Novarum” (“Of New Things”). “Like his namesake Leo XIII with the Industrial Revolution, Leo clearly sees the church as having something important to offer in an era of what may turn out to be epochal technological change,” said Dan Rober, associate professor of Catholic studies at Sacred Heart University.

https://apnews.com/article/pope-vatican-leo-trump-francis-285fcbdac257f2ba2997ea97e22662a0

Why Women Need Other Women at Work - Angie Basiouny, Knowledge at Wharton

New research from Wharton’s Tiantian Yang proves that behind every great woman is another woman. Her co-authored study on virtual career training found that women who attended remote classes exclusively with other women were much more likely to complete their training on time, earn professional certification, and get a job in their field — compared with women who attended mixed-gender classes. The authors determined that the absence of men in the same-gender classes created psychological safety for the female participants, which led them to share personal stories, support each other with messages of encouragement, and swap employment resources. All those actions led to greater success for them.

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/why-women-need-other-women-at-work/

10 Top Websites Offering Free Online Courses - Academia Mag

In today’s digital age, online learning has become one of the most powerful ways to gain knowledge, improve skills, and build a successful career. Whether you want to learn digital marketing, graphic design, coding, business management, or artificial intelligence, there are countless platforms available online. The good news is that many of these platforms provide high-quality education completely free of cost. That is why people around the world are constantly searching for the top websites offering free online courses to upgrade their knowledge without spending money. 

https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://academiamag.com/student-guide/websites-offering-free-online-courses/

Courageous conversations: How to lead with heart - McKinsey

Leadership, at its best, is a matter of the heart. Courage, which underpins every act of leadership, is also a matter of the heart; it comes from the French word cœur—heart. As Winston Churchill observed, “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities, because . . . it is the quality which guarantees all others.” The point is simple: Courage is both moral and practical. It is not sentiment or bravado. It is the willingness to face what is real, invite challenge, and repair trust. The story of every great leader—from business to the arts, from education to government to sport—is written in these moments of choice: Do I accept the comfortable, or do I ask for and embrace the truth? Do I protect myself, or do I serve the enterprise?

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/courageous-conversations-how-to-lead-with-heart

Mountain View-based Khan Academy partners with nonprofits to build online AI degree program - Emma Montalbano, Moutain View Voice

Amid emerging conversations about the future of white collar jobs in the age of artificial intelligence, Sal Khan thinks that now is the time to create something he’s been thinking about for years — a new pathway for higher education. Khan Academy, an online learning platform headquartered in Mountain View, TED, a nonprofit that aims to uplift ideas, and ETS, an organization that develops and administers standardized tests, have partnered to establish an online college called Khan TED Institute. Its inaugural program will allow students to earn a bachelor’s of science degree in applied AI, which Khan believes could benefit people interested in many careers. 

https://www.mv-voice.com/education/2026/05/01/mountain-view-based-khan-academy-partners-with-other-nonprofits-to-build-online-ai-degree-program/

Faculty Concerned About ASU’s ‘Frankensteinian’ AI Course Builder - Emma Whitford, Inside Higher Ed

Arizona State University soft launched a web app earlier this month that allows anyone, for $5 per month, to create an apparently unlimited number of customized “learning modules” using artificial intelligence. The AI chatbot, called Atom, uses online instructional materials from ASU professors to create a course that’s tailored to the goals, interests and skill level of the user. After asking a handful of questions and processing for about five minutes, Atom debuts a personalized course that includes readings, quizzes and videos from a half dozen experts at ASU. But several professors whose content Atom pulls from were surprised to learn that their materials—including video lectures, slide decks and online assignments—were being perused, clipped and repackaged for these short online course modules. The faculty wasn’t told anything about the app, ASU Atomic, they said.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/artificial-intelligence/2026/04/29/faculty-concerned-about-asus-new-ai-course

State lawmakers eye accreditation policy changes as new agency forms - Daniele McClean, Higher Ed Dive

A growing number of Republican-controlled states have introduced legislative and policy proposals that would allow their public colleges to leave their long-standing accreditors for a newly founded accrediting body. The Commission for Public Higher Education, a nascent accrediting body, is moving to potentially take on those and other public institutions as members. The CPHE is financially backed by the state of Florida and the Trump administration and overseen largely by state university system appointees, a model that’s raised alarms among some critics. Recent state legislation has aimed to make it easier for colleges to move to CPHE or other accreditors.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/commission-public-higher-education-state-laws/818856/

East Carolina University plans to cut 44 academic programs - Ben Unglesbee, Higher Ed Dive

East Carolina University plans to discontinue 44 undergraduate and graduate programs “that aren’t meeting expectations” after an internal review of its portfolio, the public institution said Friday in a news release. ECU has teach-out plans for students enrolled in the programs slated for closure, senior leaders said last week in a community memo. The university also plans to consolidate several institutional units, including merging two of its health colleges into one. The cuts and consolidations are part of ECU’s push to eliminate $25 million in expenses, or about 2% of its budget. So far, officials have targeted $6.2 million in cuts, the university said last week.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/east-carolina-university-cut-around-44-academic-programs/818622/

Universities urged to prepare students for AI‑driven economy - Jamaica Gleaner

A pointed warning about the future of work and education took centre stage as the Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM), UWI, Mona brought together leaders from academia and industry to confront a pressing question: is the Caribbean truly ready for the age of artificial intelligence? At the recent George Willie Lecture Series, David Marchick, Dean of the Kogod School of Business at American University, delivered a forceful address urging universities to rethink how they prepare students for a rapidly evolving, AI-driven global economy. Speaking on “AI in Higher Education: Strategies for Producing AI-Ready Graduates”, Marchick argued that the implications of artificial intelligence extend far beyond technology programmes. “AI is going to change everything – how we work, how we learn, how we interact. It won’t replace human talent, but those who understand AI will have a clear advantage. Our responsibility is to ensure every graduate is AI fluent, regardless of discipline.”

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20260421/universities-urged-prepare-students-ai-driven-economy

This is the fastest-growing job for young workers, LinkedIn says - Mary Cunningham, CBS News

As the rise of artificial intelligence stirs anxiety over the technology taking people's jobs, AI is also opening pathways to new careers, according to LinkedIn. The fastest-growing job title for young workers on the networking platform is "AI engineer," a recent report from the company found. LinkedIn analyzed millions of member profiles to determine the number of entry-level workers hired over the last three years and the roles they were hired to fill. "It's measuring momentum for these job titles," said Kory Kantenga, the head of economics, Americas, at LinkedIn. "Companies are just gorging on AI talent."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/artificial-intelligence-entry-level-role-linkedin-study/