Will AI Exacerbate Higher Ed's Digital Divide?

In higher education, technological changes rarely bring all institutions along equally. Historically less-resourced institutions, which often play an outsized role in educating and supporting students of color, may not have access to the human capital, time, and infrastructure to support rapid acquisition. For these institutions, including HBCUs and MSIs, the rise of AI poses significant risk of widening already problematic gaps. But it also creates a unique opportunity to “leapfrog” – skipping the last decade of ed tech tools and jumping directly to solutions that can often provide better, more cost efficient ways to support students and improve organizational effectiveness. How can institutions and technologists ensure that AI tools are developed that effectively support students across dimensions of difference? What is the role of the philanthropic and public sector in preventing an AI divide? And how can institutions leverage existing resources and best practices to fulfill AI’s promise?