CIOs on university campuses across the country have an obligation, as technology leaders, to provide the tools and expertise that staff, administration, and professors require to help fulfill the potential of students, and the university itself. But their commitment is becoming more demanding and complex as AI, in its many applications, rises to the top of the syllabus.
Broadly speaking, it’s needed by researchers, in fields from medical studies to social sciences, and is a vital tool to keep universities running efficiently, assist professors with courses, predict academic failure in time to make changes, and give students the help they need with administration.
“The challenge of how to embed appropriate AI practices within the institution and across the curriculum is quickly becoming a top priority of the strategic agenda,” says Tony Sheehan, VP analyst at Gartner covering digital strategies in higher education, adding that once students graduate and go into the working world, top management is increasingly backing projects that make use of gen AI.
“The AI skillset is becoming critical for employability for many students,” adds Sheehan. “Corporates are spending big on gen AI at the moment. If you don’t know these tools, you’re at a disadvantage in the job market.”
So students should learn about how to use the technology, and how to manage teams that use the tools — especially engineering teams. “Building a team is becoming much more complicated because the inherent tendency among technical individuals to work alone is enhanced by AI,” says Lev Gonick, CIO of Arizona State University. “It’s one of the more interesting challenges of the CIO role right now, and it’s something students, who may one day be leaders, need to learn about.”
Lev Gonick, CIO, ASU
Arizona State University
ASU’s own leadership academy, therefore, supports two key sets of attributions for IT leaders going forward, he adds. “One is knowledge of the emerging mega trends in technology — data, AI, and machine learning — and the other is understanding organizational culture needed to advance the technology goals and to inspire contributors,” he says.
