AI is Reshaping Higher Ed Workplaces

There’s no question that artificial intelligence is changing the way employees across industries work. In higher education, attention is often paid to how AI impacts teaching and learning, but employees can also use these tools to generate ideas, summarize meetings, draft emails and complete other tasks more efficiently.

In the EDUCAUSE report “The Impact of AI on Work in Higher Education,” respondents from across higher ed share how they’re using AI in the workplace and how their institutions are regulating use.

While most respondents (94%) say they have used AI tools for work within the past six months, only 54% are aware of their institutions’ policies regarding AI use. Additionally, most respondents (80%) said their institutions encourage faculty and staff to develop AI skills on their own, while 71% offer in-house professional learning opportunities.

DISCOVER: AI can help organizations build a frictionless enterprise.

In response to these findings, EDUCAUSE offers some actions for institutions to take, including communicating AI strategies to employees, looping them into strategic planning when possible, and providing formal professional development to help faculty and staff develop their work-related AI skills.

The report also notes that institutions should collect data from faculty and staff to better understand the opportunities, risks and challenges associated with using AI, and ask employees how they want to use these tools for work. This can help IT leaders better vet the tools employees need and mitigate the risk that comes from using unapproved tools.