Developing a Culture of AI Readiness in Higher Education

This chapter posits that creating an organizational culture in which AI will thrive in higher education requires more than technological prowess and a commitment to innovate—it demands a fundamental cultural reorientation. Institutions will be well served to embrace AI’s co-creation and human augmentation capabilities to transform how we engage in teaching, learning, research, and disciplined inquiry for improving learner success. Creating an AI-ready culture will involve helping stakeholders envision a compelling future with AI in it, helping them see themselves in that future, and then giving them the ways and means to get there. While generative AI presents both opportunities and challenges, success depends on developing strategic approaches that address technological, pedagogical, ethical, and cultural dimensions aligned with institutional mission. The chapter underscores that focusing on human augmentation through AI, rather than merely automating tasks or replacing people, will deliver significantly more value for extending and evolving teaching, learning, research, and inquiry. This approach supports the fundamentally human elements of education while expanding human creativity and productivity through co-creation with smart machines.