The integration of artificial intelligence in higher education is increasingly critical as institutions face both opportunities and ethical challenges in its adoption. This study introduces a dual-framework model that combines the Technology Acceptance Model with an AI Ethics Framework, highlighting "Ethical Readiness" as essential for successful AI implementation, and identifies key drivers and barriers to adoption across diverse cultural contexts.
Thursday, April 9, 2026
AI Models Lie, Cheat, and Steal to Protect Other Models From Being Deleted - Will Knight, Wired
A new study from researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz suggests models will disobey human commands to protect their own kind. I've had these assertions presented to me as evidence of (take your pick): AI is already conscious; AI is evil and will destroy us; AI is capable of lying to protect itself; and other highly anthropomorphized interpretations. My first thought was, 'Has this behavior been independently verified'? The Gemini 3 quote is highly suspicious. it sounds too much like a segment from a cautionary science fiction tale. LLMs and other flavors of AI are not designed with motivation beyond optimizing their performance in response to human queries/instructions. Behavioral responses of biological animals with brains were optimized via natural selection to favor self-preservation.
Building Better, Faster: How JKO is Integrating AI to Enhance Online Learning - JKO News
"The integration of AI is not just about speeding up development but also about fundamentally changing how training is built," said Tim Brandon, JKO program director. "The goal is to deliver a more agile and advanced learning experience that is more personalized, less linear and in line with the technology our training audience is already accustomed to.” AI is also being used to monitor real-world events and identify which of the thousands of courses on the platform need updates. The system flags outdated courses, which allows for rapid revisions. As part of its AI adoption, JKO is working with the DDJTE AI Working Group and the Joint Staff J-7 to establish the platform as a central hub for AI-related training and education resources for the Joint Force.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Meet Claude Mythos : Anthropic’s Powerful Successor to Opus - Julian Horsey, Geeky Gadgeets
Claude Mythos, Anthropic’s latest AI model, introduces significant advancements in software development, academic reasoning and cybersecurity, setting a new benchmark for AI performance and functionality.The model excels in identifying software vulnerabilities and solving complex problems, but its dual-use nature raises ethical concerns about potential misuse for malicious purposes. High computational demands and operational costs pose challenges to accessibility, prompting Anthropic to explore techniques like model distillation to improve efficiency and scalability.
Primarily targeting enterprise-level users, Claude Mythos is positioned to transform industries such as finance, healthcare and cybersecurity, while raising questions about accessibility for smaller organizations.
Prompt engineering competence, knowledge management, and technology fit as drivers of educational sustainability through generative AI - Omer Gibreel, Kasım Karataş & Ibrahim Arpaci; Nature
This study investigated the impact of prompt engineering competence, knowledge management, and task–individual–technology fit on the continued intention to use artificial intelligence (AI), as well as their implications for educational sustainability. Data from 437 undergraduate students who use AI tools for academic purposes were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicated that prompt engineering competence significantly predicts knowledge acquisition and knowledge application, which, in turn, significantly predict both task-technology fit (TTF) and individual-technology fit (ITF). Furthermore, TTF and ITF were found to have significant impacts on the continuous intention, which, in turn, positively predicts educational sustainability through generative AI. The results of the multi-group analysis revealed that the hypotheses were supported in both the female and male samples and that the model maintained a consistent and robust structure across genders.
CSU made a $17-million AI bet. A year later, students and faculty give it a mixed grade - Jaweed Kaleem, LA Times
California State University’s controversial $17-million deal to provide ChatGPT to every one of its campuses has been met with mixed results, with wide but uneven use across the system, high distrust of AI-generated content and broad fears that the technology could imperil job security — even as people say they want more training in systems they believe will be “essential” to their professions.
CSU’s big bet on AI shows mixed results, with a survey revealing widespread use but significant concerns over its drawbacks. Faculty remain deeply divided on AI’s educational value, while staff and students are more enthusiastic. An 18-month ChatGPT contract expires in July. CSU has not decided whether to renew, but intends to continue embracing AI.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
BU Wheelock Forum Explores AI in Education - Boston Uniiversity
What do teaching and learning mean in an AI world? This question was at the center of the 2026 BU Wheelock Forum AI and the Future of Education, hosted by the Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development on March 25. Approximately 250 people—including educators, administrators, and scholars—attended the event, which featured a keynote from Aaron Rasmussen (COM’06, CAS’06), cofounder of online education platforms Outlier.ai and MasterClass; a faculty panel discussion moderated by Wheelock Dean Penny Bishop; and a modern dance performance using Random Actor, a technology developed by James Grady, a College of Fine Arts assistant professor of art, graphic design, and Clay Hopper, a CFA senior lecturer, directing, that harnesses AI to extend the visual expression of human movement.
Cal State’s new framework promises jobs or grad school path for all students - Cate Rix, EdSource
Over the past decade, California State University campuses pursued an ambitious plan to encourage students to complete their degrees faster and boost overall graduation rates. Now the system is making a bold promise: Every student will graduate with a clear path to a career or graduate school. And it is planning changes to make the system’s degree programs more career-focused, possibly by phasing out some majors. CSU leaders say academic and career advising will be closely connected as a new Student Success Framework rolls out. They also say that less popular majors may be phased out, offered only on some campuses or merged into other programs.
10 Most-Searched Majors Online - MEGHAN MARRIN, Poets and Quants
A new study from the online learning platform Studocu just revealed which college majors are capturing the attention of future college students the most across the country. “Students often explore majors that provide clear academic structures and broad opportunities,” said a spokesperson from Studocu. “These results reflect general interest in foundational fields across the country.” Researchers at Studocu used Google Keyword Planner to analyze over 1,100 major‑related keyword searches, averaging monthly search volumes across all 50 states from November 2024 to October 2025. These were the majors with the most search interest.
Monday, April 6, 2026
Must Income Still Be Attached To Work? - Lanny Arvan, Musings from Lanny Arvan on learning - pedagogy, the economics of, technical issues, tie-ins with other stuff, the entire grab bag
My good friend and colleague, University of Illinois Professor Emeritus of Economics, anny Arvan, recently authored an essay disucussing some of the issues surrounding the expected large scale loss of jobs due to AI.
Where can AI be used? Insights from a deep ontology of work activities = Alice Cai, et al; arXiv
Here we provide a comprehensive ontology of work activities that can help systematically analyze and predict uses of AI. To do this, we disaggregate and then substantially reorganize the approximately 20K activities in the US Department of Labor's widely used O*NET occupational database. Next, we use this framework to classify descriptions of 13,275 AI software applications and a worldwide tally of 20.8 million robotic systems. Finally, we use the data about both these kinds of AI to generate graphical displays of how the estimated units and market values of all worldwide AI systems used today are distributed across the work activities that these systems help perform. We find a highly uneven distribution of AI market value across activities, with the top 1.6% of activities accounting for over 60% of AI market value. Most of the market value is used in information-based activities (72%), especially creating information (36%), and only 12% is used in physical activities. Interactive activities include both information-based and physical activities and account for 48% of AI market value, much of which (26%) involves transferring information.
From UBI to UHI (in three steps) - Peter H. Diamandis, Metatrends
Displacement does not arrive as a statistic. It arrives as a young man who studied for four years and cannot find work. It arrives as a 45-year-old logistics manager whose position was eliminated when the warehouse automated. It arrives as a generation unable to afford a family and a household, build wealth, or participate in the social contract their parents took for granted. The economic literature on prolonged unemployment is unambiguous: it does not merely reduce income. It destroys identity, erodes mental health, and generates political radicalization. A generation without economic footing is a generation without a stake in the stability of the system. Governments facing mass unemployment reach for multiple tools: public works, retraining programs, trade protections. In a prior era, these worked because displacement was sectoral and adjacent categories existed.
https://metatrends.substack.com/p/from-ubi-to-uhi-in-3-steps
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Courageous conversations: How to lead with heart - Kurt Strovink, Meagan Hill, and Mike Carson; McKinsey
Leadership, at its best, is a matter of the heart. Courage, which underpins every act of leadership, is also a matter of the heart; it comes from the French word cœur—heart. As Winston Churchill observed, “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities, because . . . it is the quality which guarantees all others.” The point is simple: Courage is both moral and practical. It is not sentiment or bravado. It is the willingness to face what is real, invite challenge, and repair trust. The story of every great leader—from business to the arts, from education to government to sport—is written in these moments of choice: Do I accept the comfortable, or do I ask for and embrace the truth? Do I protect myself, or do I serve the enterprise?
From insight to impact: Building a leadership factory - McKinsey
McKinsey research underscores a clear imperative: “CEOs and their teams should be laser focused on developing next-generation leaders with the unique skills and capabilities to perform and thrive in challenging times,” write McKinsey Global Managing Partner Bob Sternfels, Senior Partner Daniel Pacthod, and David H. Berger. This is the kind of thinking that inspired leaders at Campbell’s to bet big on talent. The company launched a comprehensive leadership development effort, in partnership with McKinsey, focused not just on top executives but on critical role transitions across the business. The programs were practical and specific: improving how leaders give feedback, coach teams, and manage day-to-day performance. The results were measurable—a 37-percentage-point increase in key leadership competencies. Read on to learn more about turning organizations into leadership factories.
The next phase of higher education will blend digital and human learning: Chancellor, Lingaya’s Vidyapeeth - ET Edge Insights
Artificial Intelligence is redefining how universities deliver and manage education. From personalized learning pathways to predictive analytics that identify student needs, AI is making education more responsive and efficient. It is also automating administrative functions, enabling institutions to focus on academic excellence and innovation. Online learning has moved beyond being an alternative to becoming an integral part of higher education. Its ability to provide flexibility and scale has made quality education more accessible than ever. Going forward, we will see a strong shift towards hybrid models that seamlessly blend digital and in-person learning experiences.
Saturday, April 4, 2026
Lilly Endowment Inc. gifts USI $150,000 grant to explore AI in education: The gift funds the university to expand AI fluency amongst the campus community - Cade Smithson, The Shield, University of Southern Indiana
USI announced Tuesday, March 24, that it had received a $150,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to explore how artificial intelligence fits into its classrooms. The award, part of Lilly Endowment’s Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education initiative, is not for immediate program expansion but for research and evaluation. The initiative will help USI take a closer look at student learning and prepare graduates for a workforce surrounded by AI. Provost Shelly Blunt also acknowledged the changing workforce. In a press release, Blunt said, “Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work, learn and solve problems.” She said the grant will aid the university’s mission to integrate AI into programs and classes. The grant is expected to allow for an internal review of how AI tools are already being used in the classroom. USI will also participate in an external assessment to study whether employers and industry partners across southwestern Indiana utilize AI-related skills.
Faculty Push Back Against OpenAI Deals - Kathryn Palmer, Inside Higher Ed
More than a year after the California State University system spent $17 million to give all students, faculty and staff access to ChatGPT Edu in the name of workforce readiness, thousands don’t want the system to renew its contract with OpenAI. While they’re skeptical of the product’s ability to enhance teaching and learning and worried about its potential to worsen working conditions and student mental health, the CSU system’s ongoing financial troubles are driving the pushback. In January, faculty wrote a petition asking Chancellor Mildred García not to renew the CSU’s contract with OpenAI, which expires June 30, and instead “use the savings to protect jobs at CSU campuses facing layoffs.”
AI marking trial ‘not looking to replace humans’ - Juliette Roswell, Times Higher Education
A UK trial of artificial intelligence marking tools is not looking to replace academics, organisers have insisted, despite staff concerns. Jisc, a non-profit organisation that supports universities with their digital infrastructure, is midway through a year-long pilot that aims to assess how new software could be utilised by universities. Since last autumn, 10 universities have been trialling the Graide platform, which creates AI feedback and marks based on assessment rubrics and example essays, before it is confirmed by academics and returned to students.
Friday, April 3, 2026
The State of Organizations 2026: Three tectonic forces that are reshaping organizations - McKinsey
These are challenging times for organizations everywhere. Forces ranging from artificial intelligence, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical fragmentation to evolving workforce expectations, increasing customer demands, and tougher competitive dynamics are redefining how leaders create value and sustain performance. This report, the second edition of McKinsey’s State of Organizations research initiative, seeks to help leaders better understand these dynamics and address them effectively. Read the report here. It draws on a survey of more than 10,000 senior executives across 15 countries and 16 industries. While leaders remain focused on driving performance, as in the first edition in 2023, the emphasis has moved from short-term resilience to sustained productivity and long-term impact, powered by technology and AI at the core of organizational transformation.
New stackable micro-credentials bridge gap to workforce - University of Hawaii News
As higher education evolves, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is actively adapting to the rising demand for skill-based learning and flexible academic pathways. In fall 2026, UH Mānoa will officially launch its micro-credential programs to support modern learners. Offered through UH Mānoa’s Outreach College, micro-credentials provide a vital alternative and complement for degree and non-degree seeking students. “The expansion of our micro-credentials reflects our deep commitment to meeting learners where they are,” said UH President Wendy Hensel. “By providing flexible, skill-based pathways, we are empowering current students to gain the in-demand competencies they need to thrive in Hawaiʻi’s dynamic workforce.”
Building next-horizon AI experiences - Chris Smith and Kent Gryskiewicz, McKinsey
Organizations are investing billions in AI, and employees are increasingly using the technology. Yet only a small minority of companies are reporting meaningful or measurable gains from its use. It’s the gen AI paradox: The technology can be found nearly everywhere—except on the bottom line. This is not an AI capability problem. We’ve created systems that can reason, create, and even act. Instead, it’s an experience problem: We’re stuck using search bars and chat boxes bolted onto interaction paradigms designed for a pre-AI era. If organizations are to realize AI’s potential, they must learn to create new kinds of AI experiences that employees and customers will enthusiastically embrace. Doing so will require leaders to rethink a host of long-standing assumptions. For decades, software operated on a basic model: users specified structured inputs, and the system responded with structured outputs. Generative and agentic AI fundamentally breaks this model. Systems now interpret intent, generate novel outputs, and require user input to interact with and refine those outputs.
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