Live from Google: AI Is About People, Not Just Tech

Universities can build all the AI infrastructure they want, but if faculty aren't on board, none of it lands in the classroom. Recent surveys make clear what many academic leaders already sense but rarely say out loud: there's a real and widening divide between faculty skepticism and administrative impatience on AI. The question isn't who's right. It's how you close the gap. In this episode, Jeff and Michael explore this topic with Pradeep Khosla (Chancellor, University of California, San Diego), Sonya Christian (Chancellor, California Community College System), and James Frazee (VP and CIO, San Diego State University). This episode is made with support from Google.

Chapters

0:00 - Episode Trailer
2:20 - Intro
3:36 - Why Are Students Both Using, and Booing AI?
6:10 - How Should College Leaders Talk About AI?
10:05 - Is Inconsistency in AI Policy a Feature or a Bug?
12:52 - Using Data to Drive Faculty Discussions on AI
14:33 - Invest in People, Not Just Tools
16:33 - Helping Faculty Feel Safe to Try AI
20:24 - Can Colleges Afford AI In Times of Budget Crisis?
23:26 - Encouraging All Disciplines to Try AI
26:30 - Do Professors Trust Administrators on AI? 
30:14 - Sponsor Break
30:44 - AI’s Impact on the Value of the Degree
34:48 - How is AI Really Impacting the Job Market?
38:08 - The Future of Assessment
42:38 - Does Traditional Faculty Governance Work for AI?
45:46 - What Professors Do That AI Can’t
46:41 - When Industry Moves Faster Than Education
49:12 - The Importance of Faculty Development in AI
52:15 - Closing Thoughts on AI at Colleges

Relevant Links

“AI Is Routine for College Students, Despite Campus Limits,” Lumina | Gallup.

AI in Action video series at California State University System.

“Cal State students widely use AI tools, but mistrust results and fear job impact,” in EdSource.