The education sector is experiencing a significant surge in the use of generative AI (GenAI), with students increasingly utilizing AI tools to enhance their learning experience. However, educational institutions are still in the process of evaluating how to best leverage AI technologies, considering both the evolving tech landscape and the roles needed to maximize AI and data analytics potential.
According to the Gartner® Predicts 2025: Education Dilemmas, Data Foundations and New Directions report, “Education CIOs are balancing ambitions for new technology innovation with demands for operational efficiency and cost management. These tensions, along with the continued focus on student experience and organizational competitiveness, create a complex landscape that education CIOs must navigate.”
Despite these obstacles, AI presents significant opportunities for transformation within the education sector. Education leaders, particularly Chief Information Officers (CIOs), need to take proactive steps to harness the power of AI effectively and can do so using these key strategies.
Key Strategies
Drive Awareness and Foster Understanding of AI
It is first recommended that leadership takes the time to educate their institutions about the potential of AI, data, and analytics. This includes evaluating use cases and piloting GenAI projects to demonstrate its value. As K-12 and higher education institutions navigate this complex landscape, it’s crucial to align AI initiatives with their organization’s strategic goals.
Identify Viable AI Options for Your Environment
Institutions must identify which AI solutions are suitable for their current environment. This may involve assessing existing infrastructure and technology readiness. By understanding the specific needs of their organization, educational leaders can make informed decisions on which AI tools will provide the most impact.
Enhance Student Outcomes
According to the Gartner report, “by 2028, over 70% of teaching, research and student-submitted content at all levels of education will be developed with support from generative AI.”
Manage Risks Effectively
AI adoption comes with certain risks, particularly regarding data privacy and financial management. According to the Gartner report, “By 2028, less than 15% of school systems worldwide will have achieved the data governance, management and readiness required to unlock AI-enabled innovation in K-12 education.” Educational organizations must establish frameworks to mitigate these risks while maximizing AI’s potential.
Institutional Readiness & AI Adoption
Despite the promising potential of AI, the road to adoption remains bumpy as careful planning with infrastructure and data governance is crucial. Financial pressures, increased competition, and concerns about student success may force many educational institutions to reassess their strategies.
Looking ahead, Gartner predicts in their report that, “By 2028, 75% of IT installations in higher education will be managed through cloud-based services and solutions, significantly reducing on-premises IT infrastructure and support.” If this prediction remains true, that will significantly reduce reliance on on-premises infrastructure and requires a modern data architecture strategy and plan.
For educational institutions to prepare for continued AI growth it is recommended to first align AI to strategic goals, cultivate an AI-ready culture and assess their data quality to ensure it is governed properly to support AI initiatives, and work on upgrading their legacy technology infrastructure.
While focusing on strategic AI initiatives, education leaders can ensure that they are prepared to meet both the opportunities and challenges that come with AI adoption, ultimately driving better outcomes for students and institutions alike.
AI Discovery
Understanding how and why to use AI for an educational institution is one of the first steps to ensure the investment makes sense. At NLP Logix, our team provides different AI discovery packages to help guide companies as they determine what they should build, how they should build it, and how to know it will work. AI discovery packages go from 4 week engagements up to 12 weeks and includes our team members from our AI Strategy, Product, and Client Services departments.
Contact us to learn more.
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