What AI Means for the University with Dr. Julie Jordan

In this episode of UnchartED State, co-hosts Susan Seal and Maddie Ludt are joined by Dr. Julie Jordan, Mississippi State University's first Senior Advisor for Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance.Dr. Jordan shares how AI has evolved from a niche technology into something more like electricity: embedded in everything and impossible to ignore. The conversation examines how universities are navigating this acceleration, the challenges of institutional pace and adoption, and broader implications for the labor market, knowledge work, and the long-standing "social contract" of higher education.From billion-dollar data centers rising across Mississippi to free AI models you can run offline on your phone, this episode covers a lot of ground while staying rooted in what it all means for the university.In This Episode:Why AI is being compared to electricity, not just another tech trendWhen three-to-five-year plans become three-to-five-week plansHow AI is reshaping jobs, skills, and the value of a degreeCreating space for faculty to tinker, explore, and talk about itEquity, access, and downloadable AI models for rural learnersWhy communication and human connection matter more than ever