IBL News | New York
What will happen in Higher Ed in 2026 regarding AI? Inside Higher Ed interviewed a handful of experts to answer this question.
Experts consider that the future will depend on what happens to the AI bubble.
“If the bubble pops, we might see internal demands for AI slow, from faculty members to career services staff and governing boards,” said Bryan Alexander, a higher education scholar, futurist, and author. Also, any significant adverse developments or disasters could similarly reduce academic appetite for AI, he pointed out.
• “Curricular implementations will consider offering additional campus-wide AI literacy programs, such as Ohio State University’s AI Fluency initiative.”
• “Research into AI will continue, starting with the computer science field, but also in disciplines such as economics, political science, new media studies, and psychology, as each school applies its distinct intellectual methods to the topic.”
Lindsay Wayt, senior director of business intelligence for the National Association of College and University Business Officers, said, “Institutions will continue to work to scale AI strategies and uses to the enterprise level.”
• “The pace of change is the biggest challenge confronting colleges and universities when it comes to fully leveraging AI.”
“Leaders continue to make sure AI use supports the institutional mission, priorities, and students, looking for effective ways to measure and communicate the return on investment in AI tools and resources.”
Rebecca M. Quintana, clinical associate professor at the Marsal Family School of Education at the University of Michigan. said, “Higher ed should be prepared for growing AI disillusionment, as we grapple with the costs associated with AI use, including environmental and societal impacts.
• “Today’s AI-powered tools are still relatively underdeveloped and are likely to change rapidly in the months and years ahead.”
• “Faculty, students, and administrators should also be prepared for a growing resistance to AI use within higher education contexts.”
• “Faculty may be observing that students are using AI in ways that do not support their learning and growth. Students are also sensing that extended use of AI does not align with their personal educational goals and ethical stances.”
Mark McCormack, senior director of research and insights at Educause, noted, “In 2026, it will require leaders who can educate and train users in the safe, effective adoption of these tools, while also partnering closely with academic and programmatic leaders to ensure students gain the skills they need for their educational journeys and future careers.”
• “Faculty will remain on the front lines of AI adoption, navigating their own use while also guiding and supporting students’ use of these tools.”
• “Beyond the classroom, AI has the potential to drive administrative efficiency and more sophisticated decision-making.”
• “Across all these institutional contexts, our technology teams will have to remain connected—present and responsive, providing guidance, listening to concerns, and building trust through sustained, human-centered support.”
Joe Abraham, CEO of Intellicampus, explained, “Institutions will work to end system fragmentation and use AI to boost efficiency and automation across departments, platforms, and offices.”
• “In 2026, higher education institutions will increasingly prioritize ending the fragmentation of systems that were never designed to work together. “
• “Advising platforms, enrollment tools, financial aid, billing, and LMS data often operate in isolation, creating complexity, cost, and blind spots.”
• “Institutions will need to find ways to unify data, workflows, and insights without replacing existing systems. Specifically, exploring agentic orchestration and workflow automation to enhance speed, coordination, and accuracy without adding new tools for staff to learn or manage.”
• “This will ensure institutionwide impact: stronger student and faculty experiences, simpler operations, and measurable outcomes that demonstrate the value of connected, intelligent systems.”
