3 Ways Higher Ed IT Leaders Are Socializing AI Use Across Campus

AI is reshaping industries worldwide—a third of companies are already using generative AI (GAI) in business functions and three-quarters are planning to adopt AI technologies by 2027.

Yet, as AI spreads through society and global markets, skepticism within universities persists—many faculty are still apprehensive about using AI tools, and staff are curious but struggle to know where to start.

In short, higher education is struggling to socialize AI in an environment when most others are racing to integrate it. Here, chief information officers (CIOs) play a crucial role. They aren’t just technology leaders; they’re the cultural architects who can demonstrate AI’s practical advantages and foster an environment where AI tools are trusted and embraced.

Our EAB research team spoke with scores of higher education leaders and collected examples of how institutions are socializing AI use on campus. We organized examples in order of implementation effort, ranging from easy starts to institution-wide initiatives.

Low-lift applications to build campus familiarity with AI

IT leaders are already fostering creative use of AI in their departments, helping to make AI a regular part of campus life.

• University of Nevada, Las Vegas’s IT department embraced DALL-E 2’s capabilities to craft a winning float for the homecoming parade, demonstrating AI’s creative benefits in a practical, community-focused application.
• Babson College’s CIO works collaboratively with faculty to deploy technologies for students to develop new product designs in DALL-E and to brainstorm and test ideas through the design process.
• At the University of Oregon (UO), staff are encouraged to use generative AI to create personalized office decorations. The CIO has not only endorsed but championed a DALL-E art competition, allowing staff to proudly display their AI-generated art, transforming the information services building into a gallery of innovation.

Miami University’s AI Symposium sparks campus-wide AI conversations

Transitioning from initial forays into AI with quick wins, universities are beginning to host more elaborate AI events that involve the entire campus community around AI.

Miami University’s CIO, David Seidl, organized an AI Symposium to facilitate interest and discussion around AI while empowering AI enthusiasts across campus. The symposium was organized in only 60 days and leveraged direct invitations to key community members as well as a broad invitation to the institutional community.

15 presentations from faculty, staff, and students in three tracks

Sessions included:

• Generative AI and IP: Frenemies or BFFs?
• AI: The Future of Creative Teaching and Learning is Now
• ChatGPT vs. Google: A Comparative Study of Search Performance and User Experience
• Writing with Generative AI and Human-Machine Teaming: Insights and Recommendations from Faculty and Students

The symposium included a keynote address The Art of Generative AI: Unleashing Creativity and Innovation from Greg Simpson—the former chief technology officer at both Synchrony and GE. The event also included discussion tables during lunch (provided by the university) where speakers and volunteers moderated discussions about various AI-related topics (e.g., AI ethics, comparing AI models).

The symposium garnered so much interest from the campus community that Miami University’s student government, quickly followed by multiple other campus divisions, offered to co-sponsor and fund part of the event. Volunteers from across IT and academic units also got involved, assisting session operations. The IT shop ultimately funded just one-third of the symposium costs.

Campus impact

David reported notable momentum post-symposium, assembling a list of AI-active users in his campus community. He also received formal requests for additional resources after the event, including:

• Requests for an ‘AI 101‘ course, now being planned for delivery early next year, combining in-person and alternative delivery formats for the entire campus community
• Support for the formation of a working group to develop an integrated AI strategy across institutional domains
• Initiatives to centralize Miami’s AI-related resources into a visible, institution-wide list
• Calls to address equity concerns to ensure equal access to AI tools for all students

Miami will host a second AI symposium next year, applying lessons learned to scale up programming.

Harvard’s AI sandbox fosters secure AI exploration

While many universities might organize a campus-wide event like Miami’s, institutions with ample resources and a drive for innovation can aim for more ambitious projects.

Harvard University launched the “AI Sandbox” pilot program to allow campus members to explore using different large language models (LLMs) safely and securely. Over 40 IT professionals collaborated with academic divisions to craft a unified interface that lets users alternate between using various LLMs, while ensuring data privacy and security.

While many institutions are still deliberating over which AI tools they will deploy on campus, Harvard is providing their campus the opportunity to experiment with a variety of AI tools immediately. Campus members are not only gaining baseline AI fluency, but even learning the comparative strengths and weaknesses of different tools.

Other specific use cases for AI included:

• Summarizing student feedback
• Updating course materials
• Advanced problem solving

Faculty shared positive feedback after the pilot, prompting plans to widen access in the near future and adapt the tool to various needs of the larger campus community. The positive sandbox experience proved a stepping stone in facilitating widespread faculty usage of AI tools.

More ideas for AI on campus

Socializing AI on university campuses is a prerequisite step to driving true AI experimentation. To unearth the possibilities and spark further inspiration, take a look at our infographic, which presents a variety of potential AI applications and their expected impact.