Teaching in Higher Ed Peak Higher Ed: AI’s Possible Futures with Bryan Alexander
Jan 8, 2026
Bryan Alexander, a renowned futurist and author known for his insights on higher education, dives into the transformative impact of AI on academia. He discusses the delicate balance between the potential of AI, likening it to a child needing guidance, and its economic risks, warning of possible bubbles. Alexander also addresses the need for adaptive teaching practices in light of AI's omnipresence among students. With a mix of utopian and dystopian perspectives, he encourages educators to rethink assessment and pedagogy for a rapidly evolving landscape.
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Episode notes
AI Cuts Across Every Institutional Domain
- AI touches strategy, pedagogy, assessment, governance, and campus roles in ways unlike prior technologies.
- Institutions must decide whether AI needs enterprise-level response or can be handled by IT alone.
Use Scenarios And Workshops Proactively
- Use environmental scanning and scenario planning to map AI's possible futures for your institution.
- Run workshops to engage many perspectives and surface divergent possibilities.
AI As A New Mode Of Thought
- Treat generative AI as a new form of thinking and information organization, not just a tool.
- View models as remix machines that replay internet biases and gaps back into outputs.
