‘Right here, right now’: New report on how AI is transforming higher education
A new collection of essays, AI and the Future of Universities published by HEPI and the University of Southampton, edited by Dr Giles Carden and Josh Freeman, brings together leading voices from universities, industry and policy. The collection comes at a point when Artificial Intelligence (AI) is projected to have a profound and transformative impact on virtually every sector of society and the economy, driving changes that are both beneficial and challenging. The various pieces look at how AI is reshaping higher education – from strategy, teaching and assessment to research and professional services.
You can read the press release and access the full report here.
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Chris says:
I asked Claude for its thoughts, make of them what you will:
“The report captures a sector grappling with genuinely transformative change, though I see some critical gaps in the analysis.
The central paradox they identify – that AI requires us to become more rather than less intelligent – is spot on. But there’s an unresolved tension throughout between aspirational rhetoric and practical reality. The authors acknowledge universities’ “deliberative culture” clashes with AI’s pace, yet don’t fully confront how deep this mismatch runs. Quality assurance processes, committee structures, and academic governance weren’t designed for technologies that evolve monthly.
The workforce implications deserve more honest treatment. Ant Bagshaw’s piece at least acknowledges that “fewer jobs” are likely in professional services, but the broader collection soft-pedals what could be significant displacement. When AI can draft reports, process applications, and handle routine queries, what happens to the thousands employed in these roles? The suggestion that they’ll simply be “liberated” for higher-value work feels optimistic without concrete transition plans.
The data infrastructure challenge is particularly acute. The “pipes and poems” metaphor is apt – many institutions are trying to implement AI without basic data hygiene, interoperability, or governance structures. This isn’t just a technical problem; it reflects decades of siloed systems and underinvestment in digital architecture.
What strikes me most is how the report assumes institutional agency whilst describing forces largely beyond universities’ control. Tech companies are setting the pace and parameters of AI development. Universities are essentially reactive players trying to adapt tools designed for other purposes to educational needs.
The inclusion of ChatGPT’s chapter is clever but perhaps unintentionally revealing – it reads as competent but generic, lacking the specific insights and critical edge of the human contributions. This rather proves Luckin’s point about uniquely human capabilities, though not quite in the way intended.
The equity concerns feel understated given the evidence already emerging. If AI use correlates with wealth and gender, we’re watching new forms of educational advantage crystallise in real-time. The report’s recommendations, whilst sensible, don’t match the urgency this demands.”
(ps for the prompt obsessed, I got the above from: “Thoughts on it all?” after asking for an initial summary of the key takeaways)
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