Teachers Forge Ahead on Integrating AI - Ed Finkel, EdSurge

A new report highlights teacher-led adoption, student demand for feedback, and a growing push for tools tailored specifically to the classroom. New findings from Turnitin highlight the growing leadership role of teachers integrating artificial intelligence into the classroom, the demand for education-specific AI solutions, and the importance of guiding students toward using AI as a tool for learning rather than a substitute for thinking. Based on data gathered during the first half of 2026 and an analysis of how students use the Turnitin Clarity AI writing transparency tool, the “Learning Integrity Insights Report Q2” revealed 48% of respondents reported that teachers and administrators take primary responsibility for AI implementation at their schools and districts, far more than do technology leaders (17%) and cross-functional committees (16%).

https://www.edsurge.com/news/teachers-forge-ahead-on-integrating-ai

The next employability crisis won't be about jobs; it'll be about learning - Sheeba Chauhan, IndiaTimes

Indian universities are undergoing a significant metamorphosis to align with the rapidly changing workforce needs, particularly in AI-centric careers. By incorporating artificial intelligence into various fields of study, academic leaders are restructuring programs to emphasize hands-on experience. This partnership with industries fosters essential practical skills, enabling students to evolve into innovative thinkers and lifelong learners ready for the challenges of tomorrow's job market.

https://education.economictimes.indiatimes.com/amp/news/higher-education/the-next-employability-crisis-wont-be-about-jobs-itll-be-about-learning/132849046

Differential engagement with generative artificial intelligence in higher education: Gender, motivation, and achievement trajectories - uan-Hsuan Lee & Jiun-Yu Wu, International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education

Engagement frequency was shaped by learner differences: female students, those with stronger autonomous motivation, lower prior knowledge, and higher course performance interacted more frequently, while higher-performing students were less likely to abstain from use. Importantly, engagement was not merely a matter of frequency but of inquiry quality and diversity. Growing Achievers (students who began with weaker achievement but demonstrated substantial performance gains) posed more diverse and conceptually oriented questions. In contrast, Declining Performers engaged minimally and focused on narrower, procedural inquiries despite stronger initial knowledge.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41239-026-00615-8

Nearly three in five students say they turn to AI when sad, stressed, or lonely, JED research finds - Emma Thompson, EdTech Innovation Hub

Four in five middle and high school students have used some form of AI, and nearly three in five have turned to it while feeling sad, stressed, or lonely, according to preliminary findings previewed by The Jed Foundation (JED) at a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C. The suicide prevention nonprofit, which partners with high schools, colleges, school districts, and community organizations, gathered the data between October 2025 and April 2026 from more than 5,500 students at 21 U.S. schools and school districts already enrolled in its programs. Dr. Kayla Anderson, JED's vice president of research and evaluation, led the work. Full results are expected in the fall. Academic use dominates, but it is not the whole picture. More than half of students reported using AI for schoolwork. Nearly one third used it for relationship or problem-solving advice, and more than one in ten talked to AI for companionship.

https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/nearly-three-in-five-students-say-they-turn-to-ai-when-sad-stressed-or-lonely-jed-research-finds

A $40,000-Per-Year AI School With No Teachers Is Opening in Oklahoma - Maya Henry, Good Men Project

An AI-powered, billionaire-backed chain of private schools promises to educate students with two hours of virtual learning a day and entrepreneurship workshops. There are no teachers, and tuition is nearly double the most expensive private school in the state. This is Alpha School and, come August, it’s touching down in Oklahoma. Here’s how it works, according to Alpha: Students start each morning on a laptop, with two hours on Alpha’s adaptive, AI learning platform. Half an hour is allotted to each core subject: math, reading, science and social studies. Then, in the afternoon, students learn through projects and workshops that build life skills. Alpha’s rejection of tradition is its draw; for one soon-to-be Alpha parent, whose son will start eighth grade at the Tulsa location, the workshops and highly personalized learning convinced her family to commit.

https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/a-40000-per-year-ai-school-with-no-teachers-is-opening-in-oklahoma-this-august/

AI and SMEs: From Automation to Growth - The AI Professor Luca

In this episode of The AI Professor, host Professor Luca highlights artificial intelligence as a major competitive equalizer for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) [00:00]. Drawing from an MIT Technology Review report, he explains that AI helps small teams manage multi-disciplinary roles—such as administration, marketing, and finance—freeing up the entrepreneur’s time to focus on strategic growth and innovation rather than simple task automation [00:26]. Data from a Goldman Sachs study reveals that while 76% of surveyed small businesses already use AI and 84% report increased productivity, only 14% have fully integrated AI into core workflows, citing key hurdles in cybersecurity, tool selection, and technical skill gaps [01:24]. Expanding the scope to medium-sized businesses, insights from the World Economic Forum indicate that generative AI holds over $2 trillion in potential value for the sector, though pilot projects often fail when organizations try to automate indiscriminately without updating underlying skills and processes [02:19]. Luca concludes that long-term competitive advantage will not come from standard chatbots, but from thoughtfully integrating AI into core workflows alongside human oversight and expertise [02:45]. Summary by Gemini Flash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_q2SMRIqFM

Artificial Intelligence Exposes the Failings of Modern Scholarship - B.M. Ryan, Minding the Campus

Artificial intelligence thrives because universities reward predictable academic writing over genuine intellectual discovery. As higher education expanded, publication increasingly became less a record of discovery than a currency of professional advancement. Papers certify careers, grants, promotions, and institutional prestige. The result is an explosion of research output without a corresponding explosion of transformative ideas. Novelty has always been rewarded, but only when it is legible within shared methods, shared language, and shared standards of evidence. On this view, AI does not dissolve the institution so much as accelerate it—making fluent, norm-compliant prose cheap while leaving untouched the deeper filters that decide what counts as knowledge.

https://mindingthecampus.org/2026/07/31/artificial-intelligence-exposes-the-failings-of-modern-scholarship/

Montana Tech Names First Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer in Montana University System - Amanda Badovinac, Montana Tech

Recognizing the transformative impact of emerging technologies on higher education and industry, Montana Technological University has appointed Professor Chad Okrusch, Ph.D. to serve as the university’s first chief artificial intelligence officer. The position is the first of its kind in the Montana University System (MUS). As chief artificial intelligence officer, Okrusch will lead Montana Tech’s strategic integration of artificial intelligence across campus, ensuring that students, faculty, and staff are equipped to navigate, utilize, and shape the future of AI responsibly. 

https://mtech.edu/news/2026/07/montana-tech-names-first-chief-artificial-intelligence-officer-in-montana-university-system.html

Students as Conscientious Objectors to Generative AI: We should listen to them—and treat their objections with respect - Carla Fehr and Jennifer Saul, Inside Higher Ed

When Carla explained the assignment, the first question raised was “What if we don’t want to use GenAI?” At first, she responded that it was part of the assignment and that whether or not they wanted to use generative AI, they should at least know how to use it. If they then chose to reject it, they could do so from a place of knowledge and experience. The class atmosphere became tense as more students pushed back against this required use of generative AI. They wanted to know what their classmates thought rather than what a large language model produced in response to prompting; they wanted to wrestle with difficult readings and complex ideas; they wanted to work together across their human differences to negotiate new ideas and find ways of expressing them. And they didn’t want to outsource any of this effort to generative AI. They wanted to do the work, even the mundane work.

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/career-advice/teaching/2026/07/30/students-conscientious-objectors-gen-ai-opinion

Coursera invests $100 million in Andrew Ng’s AI learning company LearnVector - EdTech Innovation Hub

The newly formed company plans to use AI agents to create individualized learning experiences that adapt as people practice and master new skills. The deal brings Ng’s work in agentic AI into Coursera’s wider strategy for personalized learning. LearnVector plans to develop one-to-one experiences that adapt to individual learners, provide opportunities to practice and remain involved until they have mastered the material. Greg Hart, Chief Executive Officer and President of Coursera, revealed the investment on LinkedIn, describing Ng’s focus as extending beyond the development of AI itself to “how to use it to unlock human potential.” Ng co-founded Coursera and has combined work in artificial intelligence with efforts to expand access to education. “Few people have taught AI to more learners or done more to help people understand and apply this technology,” Hart observed. The investment also has roots in conversations between the pair before Hart joined Coursera. Reflecting on those discussions, he recalled: “We both became energized talking about the ways AI could be used to transform the learning experience and deliver better outcomes for learners.”

https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/the-newly-formed-company-plans-to-use-ai-agents-to-create-individualized-learning-experiences-that-adapt-as-people-practice-and-master-new-skills

Why AI Is Changing What It Means to Be Intelligent - Lydia Elliott, Faculty Focus

Across higher education, artificial intelligence has rapidly changed how students complete academic work. Essays, summaries, explanations, and structured problem-solving can now be generated instantly. The first concern has understandably been academic integrity. A deeper issue, however, is emerging. We are beginning to mistake performance for understanding.  Students can now produce correct answers without necessarily developing the ability to interpret situations, make decisions, or apply knowledge responsibly.

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/educational-assessment/why-ai-is-changing-what-it-means-to-be-intelligent/

Microsoft's latest quantum chip is 1,000 times more reliable than its predecessor — but why is it so controversial? - Keumars Afifi-Sabet, Live Science

Microsoft has revealed a new quantum computing chip with quantum bits (qubits) it says are capable of maintaining their quantum state for 1,000 times longer than its predecessor — paving the way for more reliable quantum computers by 2029. But not all scientists believe the company's claims. The experimental quantum processing unit (QPU), dubbed Majorana 2, features a four-qubit array that offers a reported mean qubit lifetime of 20 seconds and, in some instances, up to a minute. This is a massive improvement in quantum coherence times — the time that qubits are entangled so that calculations can run in parallel — typically seen in QPUs. Normally, this lifetime is measured in milliseconds (thousandths of a second). The new chip could put scientists on the path to building a quantum computer that's commercially viable by 2029 — halving the timespan researchers initially expected — Microsoft representatives said in a statement. 

https://www.livescience.com/technology/quantum/microsofts-new-quantum-chip-is-1-000-times-more-reliable-than-its-predecessor-but-why-is-this-new-chip-so-controversial

The 10 most valuable AI skills students want to learn - Alcino Donadel University Business

There are 10 foundational AI skills education leaders should embed in their curriculum to ensure graduates are ready for the workforce, a new Coursera report contends. Student interest in generative AI is exploding as employers across industries make the technology a key part of daily operations. Participation in Coursera’s generative AI courses has increased by 234% over the last year, while professional certificate enrollment jumped by 91% as employers wish to verify what job candidates are learning. The fastest-growing, non-technical AI skill is creating content that promotes a business’ strategy or services. Courses that focus on critical thinking around responsible and ethical AI use have grown by 185%. Critical thinking is increasingly taught in STEM disciplines, including data, IT and software development.

https://universitybusiness.com/the-10-most-valuable-ai-skills-students-want-to-learn/

How can the public sector meet the AI moment? - McKinsey

Achieving real impact, however, requires more than isolated pilots. Fully realizing AI’s potential demands organizations rewire by redesigning processes, ways of working, and operating models to make the technology part of everyday service delivery. This series explores how leaders can move beyond experimentation and take practical steps to scale AI responsibly, delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, service quality, and the experience of the people they serve. Our ambition is to help the public sector dramatically improve their capacity to deliver for residents by providing leaders with the insights and confidence needed to accelerate that journey.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/rewiring-public-sector

Is that AI agent worth it? Agentic economics and the modern operating model - McKinsey

A lot goes into what determines that value, such as whether the agent output is correct, whether humans must supervise or repair it, how much compute it consumes while reasoning, and whether the value of the completed work exceeds the full operational cost of generating it. In essence, for CEOs this boils down to answering a basic question: Are the AI agent capabilities we’re building and running worth the value we’re getting from them? Answering that question is becoming ever more pressing for CEOs as AI systems move from agentic coworkers to agents capable of more complex tasks like reasoning and orchestrating workflows across the enterprise. Furthermore, AI spending is expected to rise to roughly 25 percent of enterprise IT budgets within the next several years. Yet many organizations still cannot clearly explain which AI systems are generating value, what they truly cost to operate, or how those economics change as usage scales.

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/is-that-ai-agent-worth-it-agentic-economics-and-the-modern-operating-model