AI in Higher Education

An absolute delight to speak at Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University last week!

This hidden gem of a campus is robust with stellar faculty, remarkable students, and engaged donors and community stakeholders.

We spent time diving into today's most pressing topics:

𝟭) 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗜 
Every time we outsource a decision, a difficult conversation, or an emotional process to a chatbot, we get a quick answer, and yet we forfeit a small piece of practice. Over time, the cumulative effect of leaning on AI for thinking and
feeling can quietly erode the very capacities that make us effective, creative, and connective. Responsible engagement means staying in the driver's seat and using AI as a tool that sharpens our thinking, not replace it.

𝟮) 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘀 + 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 + 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Hundreds of millions of people are turning to AI for emotional support, companionship, and even therapy. This isn't an AI problem - it's a reflection of a much deeper void in our society. But when AI becomes a substitute for human connection rather than a bridge toward it, we risk atrophying the bi-directional relational skills (listening, patience, repair, friction tolerance) that meaningful relationships require. The good news is we can use AI to rehearse rather than replace our relationships, which can contribute to successful navigation of friction.

𝟯) 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀
Research shows that AI can distort our reality, shift our values, and steer us toward decisions that don't reflect who we actually are. Preserving human agency means staying alert to these dynamics, practicing nuanced thinking, and resisting the comfort of easy answers to complex questions. The most important skill for this era the capacity to think critically and hold complexity without rushing to resolution.

* Thank you FAU for inviting me to lead an invigorating and intellectually stimulating week!