How AI Could Reshape Higher Ed

Parents and prospective students want to know how colleges are responding to the rise of generative AI — and to other recent developments like federal budget cuts to research. On this episode, Jeff and Michael share what they’re both hearing as they visit campuses around the country this fall. And they offer their analysis of what AI could mean for higher education, and whether the time is ripe for new entrants to enter the college landscape. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.

Episode 207 of the Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed podcast, hosted by Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn, titled "How AI Could Reshape Higher Ed" was published on October 14, 2025 and runs 39 minutes.

October 14, 2025 ·39m · Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed

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Summary

Parents and prospective students want to know how colleges are responding to the rise of generative AI — and to other recent developments like federal budget cuts to research. On this episode, Jeff and Michael share what they’re both hearing as they visit campuses around the country this fall. And they offer their analysis of what AI could mean for higher education, and whether the time is ripe for new entrants to enter the college landscape. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.

Episode Description

Parents and prospective students want to know how colleges are responding to the rise of generative AI — and to other recent developments like federal budget cuts to research. On this episode, Jeff and Michael share what they’re both hearing as they visit campuses around the country this fall. And they offer their analysis of what AI could mean for higher education, and whether the time is ripe for new entrants to enter the college landscape. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.

Publications Mentioned

Should College Get Harder?

Joshua Rothman in The New Yorker

Student Loan Debt Is Strangling Gen X

Oyin Adedoyin in The Wall Street Journal

Charlie Javice sentenced to 7 years in prison for $175M fraud

ABC News

Anthology Declares Bankruptcy, Blackboard to Remain as the Core,

Phil Hill, in OnEdTech

Chapters

0:00 - Intro

2:23 - What Jeff Is Hearing On His Book Tour for ‘Dream School’

4:25 - Should College Get Harder Because of AI?

7:27 - Why Different Kinds of Colleges Will Be Impacted Differently

10:48 - Startup Universities Are Emerging With an AI Focus

14:25 - Redesigning the College Experience Around Activities and Personal Development

17:39 - Will a New Kind of Expertise Be Required On Campuses?

19:20 - Will Employers Trust Degrees In the AI Era?

24:40 - Sponsor Break

25:35 - How Student Loan Debt Is Impacting Gen X

28:22 - A Republican Effort to Question Consultants That Help Set College Prices

30:15 - Charlie Javice Sentenced In Fraud Case

31:44 - Anthology, Owner of Blackboard LMS, Goes Bankrupt

34:00 - Some Trade Schools Exempted From New Federal Rules

35:00 - Making Changes at Colleges Stick

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