How AI is driving change in higher education

Although the technology is still relatively new, artificial intelligence has quickly become an inescapable part of daily life. Open nearly any app or website, and you’ll probably notice embedded AI features designed to provide information or make the user’s experience smoother. Meanwhile, daily media reports detail ongoing battles over data centers and the environmental risks they pose, as well as concerns about AI’s effects on the labor market and the economy. For all the promise and excitement surrounding AI, there is an equal sense of hesitation and apprehension.

Some of that reluctance may be due to the breakneck pace of AI’s development and widespread adoption. In only a few short years, AI has evolved from a theoretical idea that seems like it belongs in a sci-fi movie to a ubiquitous tool for discovery, analysis, and optimization. And higher education is at the epicenter of this conversation. From small liberal arts colleges to large state universities, campuses everywhere are embroiled in discussions about academic integrity and helping students understand how to use AI in a way that enhances, rather than hinders, their learning. There’s also a growing expectation that colleges prepare students for career success in a world that has been permanently altered by AI and its impact on jobs across nearly every field. 

Perspectives from higher education leaders

That’s why I’m excited for this year’s President to President thought leadership series. Titled “Reframing AI in Higher Education: Perspectives from University Presidents,” it features firsthand insights and strategies to help colleges engage with AI intentionally rather than reactively. The widespread use of AI raises fundamental questions about teaching, learning, policies, infrastructure, human labor, student development, and ethics. The authors featured in President to President are actively setting direction, asking hard questions, and determining where efficiency should accelerate progress and where human connection must be protected.

One of the most interesting things highlighted in President to President is the ongoing struggle to balance the immense potential benefits of AI with the considerable risks it poses. We’re still in the early stages of this technology, and many of those in higher education expect it will become more practical and effective in the future. EDUCAUSE President and CEO John O’Brien, Ph.D., sheds light on this topic in the President to President foreword. He notes a survey conducted by EDUCAUSE showing that while only 11% of respondents see AI as currently enhancing student learning experiences, 41% anticipate that it will have a positive impact within two years. In addition, 92% agreed that AI tools can support the purpose of higher education, and 86% indicated that they wanted to use or continue to use AI tools in the future. However, despite this optimism, Dr. O’Brien also describes concerns expressed by faculty members, who worry about what overreliance on AI will do to students’ ability to acquire knowledge and synthesize information, as well as instructors’ ability to assess learning. 

One possible solution to these concerns is shared in the first chapter of President to President, in which Northeastern University President Joseph E. Aoun, Ph.D., highlights the comprehensive approach to AI his team has developed. Dr. Aoun delves into the importance of viewing AI not merely as a tool or a threat, but as something that has the power to reshape the world. As such, it requires an entirely new approach to higher education, one that reimagines curriculum development and learning analysis while prioritizing what he calls “human centrality.” Although AI is often touted as a tool that can improve speed and efficiency, Dr. Aoun suggests that a better strategy is to approach AI with the goal of producing more meaningful results, the types of results that can only be achieved when AI is combined with human creativity, judgement, and input.

Staying focused on what matters most

These first few installments of President to President offer an excellent reminder for everyone working on a college campus. In our collective excitement about the possibilities that AI offers, we must not lose sight of the real people at the center of it all: our students. 

Sodexo is a sizable company with complex, large-scale operations at a wide variety of sites in different industries. Of course, we’re excited about the possibilities of AI integration and how these tools can help us improve efficiency, analyze and understand consumer needs, and deliver faster and more impactful results to our partner campuses, all while streamlining cumbersome processes. But we also know that, regardless of what new technology may come along, people will always be the core of our business.  

There is no substitute for genuine human connection. No technology can replace the warm smiles and friendly greetings in the dining hall that make students feel at home. A chatbot will never replicate the sense of belonging students feel when they catch up with friends over a shared meal. And no tool will ever understand and celebrate campus culture the way that members of the community who live it every day do. 

As students increasingly find themselves navigating a world filled with virtual assistants and AI-powered tools, they need opportunities to form authentic human connections more than ever. That’s why Sodexo is committed to creating spaces, experiences, and events that encourage students to engage with the campus community in person each day. Technology may offer a greater degree of convenience and customization, but we leverage those benefits to enhance, rather than replace, the on-campus experience. 

Perhaps the true value of AI on college campuses is its ability to create more space for personal interaction and meaningful connection. For example, every minute that a dining team member saves by using AI to make administrative tasks easier is a minute they can spend out in the dining room, getting to know students, gathering their honest feedback, and letting them know that they’re heard and respected. In short, AI can enable real human connection. And there’s no greater mission when serving college students.