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. 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 Connect with Michael Horn: Sign Up for the The Future of Education Newsletter Website LinkedIn X (Twitter) Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo: Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You Sign Up for the Next Newsletter Website X (Twitter) Threads LinkedIn Connect with Future U: Twitter YouTube Threads Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag! Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.

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How AI Could Reshape Higher Ed is an episode from Future U Podcast by Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn.

This episode is 00:39:43 long.

This episode was published on Oct 14, 2025.

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