Higher Education in the AI Age

A perfect storm is hitting the higher education. Decrease funding from traditional funding sources such as State Governments and transformative changes caused by artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize higher education (Siau 2018). Higher education needs to change and evolve quickly and continuously to prepare students for the upheavals in the job market caused by AI, machine learning, and automation. Further, continuous organizational and curriculum changes will be necessary for a higher education institution to stay relevant and to stay afloat. This qualitative research looks at higher education in the AI age. Stakeholders (i.e., administrators, faculty, students, industry recruiters) in higher education were interviewed. Data collection centered on a public university in the Midwest of the U.S. The study consists of two parts: questionnaire and interview. The questionnaire aims to collect demographic data from each participant as well as measuring the attitude of each participant regarding technology. A semi-structured interview approach was conducted to identify the pedagogical impact of AI on higher education. The interview focuses on the following dimensions: (i) understanding of AI; (ii) expectations of AI capabilities; (iii) personal view and concerns on job replacement due to AI; (iv) impact of AI on higher education; (v) expectation of changes and responses from higher education facing AI challenges; and (vi) AI impact on the future of humanity and society.