FIU convened leaders of higher education, government and industry for an extraordinary discussion around the greatest challenges and opportunities facing post-secondary institutions today.
At the Horizon Summit, university presidents from around the country, federal officials and technology experts addressed the value of collaborations across sectors and how to harness venture capital to commercialize university innovations. But it was their conversations around thriving in an era of rapid technological transformation that caught fire.
"Change isn't coming. It's already here," President Jeanette M. Nuñez said in a room full of individuals she personally invited to the table, each of whom has a unique perspective on the central catalyst of much of that change: AI.
"It will completely disrupt every element of humanity more than any other technology or innovation in human history," FIU trustee Fred Voccola told those in attendance. The founder of two technology firms and the author of a recent book on AI made clear that anyone who does not embrace it will go the way of the dinosaur.
"AI allows a human being to become about a hundred to a hundred-and-fifty percent more productive within six weeks," he said. "That's never happened before. Ever."
Over several hours on two days, speakers shared opinions, experiences and data that made clear how the tech is altering what we know of 21st-century work, life and education and how universities, in particular, will have to adapt.
Collaboration with industry
As recent graduates can attest, the struggle is real. Machines and AI are rapidly taking over traditional work, even in the white-collar arena. Panelists argued that the issue isn't widespread job loss but, rather, job dislocation.
In the field of software engineering, for example, engineers are increasingly directing AI systems to write code rather than doing it themselves.
"That skill set has changed," said Kevin Connell, an executive with OpenAI, "and so we need to update curriculum accordingly." The competencies employers expect are different than even those of a year ago, and universities must respond quickly, he continued. "Folks need to learn how to apply these skills in ways that are going to help get them a job."
That urgency to get future workers primed for an evolving workplace framed a conversation about partnerships among higher education and industry to ensure that students have the ability to use AI tools to solve problems.
The aim for universities, speakers suggested, should be to connect classroom learning directly to workforce demands, in real time, by adjusting the knowledge and skills being taught to better reflect what industry needs.
While the concept itself is not new – FIU for years has relied on "real-world" advisors to help shape responsive curricula – the speed required to keep up with what business requires is dizzying. Institutions that cannot or will not adjust to the changing atmosphere risk being left behind.
Some are already experimenting with new models. Arizona State University and the California State University system are embedding AI tools into coursework while working closely with employers to define the skills those employers are currently recruiting for.
