Recorded on-site at EDUCAUSE 2026 in Denver, inside the Info-Tech Research Group booth, this episode brings together John O'Brien (President & CEO, EDUCAUSE) and Mark Roman (Managing Partner, Education, Info-Tech Research Group).
John has led EDUCAUSE since 2015, and Mark was a CIO for a long time before working with colleges and universities around the world. John and Mark dig into where people still matter when the answers come from machines.
John raises a question that could reshape higher ed: if human connection becomes the premium experience, who gets access to it, and who is left with only automated alternatives?
Mark makes the case that a CIO who sees across the whole institution could rise to COO, and the conversation lands on the messy middle of learning that AI lets students skip.
Timestamps
(00:00) Intro to John O'Brien and Mark Roman
(02:55) College Isn't About the Knowledge
(05:50) Moving Up Bloom's Taxonomy
(10:40) Earning a Seat at the Table
(11:40) Skipping the Messy Middle
(14:20) The Future of the CIO
(17:05) The AI Slop Divide
(18:50) What John Is Proudest Of
(21:00) From Young Professional to Board Chair
(25:30) An Appeal to Kindness
(25:45) Promoted, Still Doing the Old Job
(26:35) Start With Values
Connect with the Guests
💼 John's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnobrienphd/
💼 Mark's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markromanlinkedin/
Connect with Me
🌐 Full episode & transcript: https://podcast.techtables.com/educause-john-obrien-ai-slop/
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