Ep. 29 What Higher Ed Gets Wrong About AI and Critical Thinking with Inara Scott

In this episode of Unfixed, Nik and Zach sit down with Inara Scott, a leading expert on AI strategy and innovation in higher education, to examine why the conversation around AI may be moving backward instead of forward. They explore faculty resistance, the limits of AI bans and opt-out policies, and the widespread concern that generative AI is eroding students’ critical thinking. Inara introduces her “AI Cognitive Pyramid” as a new framework for understanding where meaningful thinking actually happens in AI-integrated learning. The discussion reframes what it means to take AI seriously in teaching, learning, and institutional strategy.Inara Scott on LinkedInInara Scott at Oregon State UniversityThe AI Cognitive Pyramid: A Conceptual Framework for Generative AI Use, Critical Thinking, and Learning Design in Higher Education  by Inara Scott :: SSRNNik Janos, AI Is Not Antithetical to Human Intelligence: What The Guardian gets wrongUnfixed Ep. 26 From Grief to ActionThoughts and suggestions? Email us at [email protected] can find the full show notes and our writing at meltsintoair.orgSubscribe to the Unfixed Newsletter—The AI Higher Ed Breakdown our bi-weekly newsletter unpacking the top news stories at the intersection of AI and higher education.