Change is in the air. This year alone, I have listened to presentations at Social Media Marketing World and Association for Talent Development conference on the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will have on society. I just finished reading Robot-Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Joseph E. Aoun, who addressed the impact artificial intelligence, specifically, will have on higher education and what higher education can do to prepare.

Joseph E. Aoun is the President of Northeastern University. In Robot-Proof, he shared what his university is doing and what other universities should be doing to prepare for the change in society and the workplace due to artificial intelligence.

Robot-Proof was a rather quick read at 216 pages spread over five chapters. In addition to the introduction and conclusion, the chapters included:

• Fears of a Robotic Future
• Views from the C-Suite: What Employers Want, in Their Own Words
• A Learning Model for the Future
• The Experiential Difference
• Learning for Life

Aoun began the book by discussing our reluctance to embrace technology for fear that it will take our jobs. The history of the impact of technology is a long one. He shared how the term Luddite came about. It was a push back to machines taking over a task completed by hand for hundreds of years. He also shared contemporary examples of technology impacting society such as robot run warehouses, driverless trucks, and Jeopardy-winning AI.

With the constant push towards automation, current labor will have to be reskilled. Aoun stressed that colleges and universities need to take up this charge. Higher ed needs to distinguish what robots, AI, and automation are good at and what humans are good at.

What I have come to understand so far is that this transformation will be much shorter then what transpired during the industrial revolution. This transformation will happen over the next 15 years.

Not only will higher education have to update curriculum to accommodate traditional students, but they will also have to start to serve lifelong learners. According to Aoun, graduates will not only need to learn how to read, write, and solve math problems, they will also need to understand data analysis, technology, and human factors.

Aoun predicted that the workforce will shift to one with more entrepreneurs and freelancers. Companies will start hiring individuals to work on specific problems and then let them go. These workers will need constant training to stay abreast of changes. Those with advanced degrees will be in high demand, especially in technology fields.

Aoun shared a learning model for the future. Higher education will need to teach students to think creatively. While talking about convergent and divergent thinking, Aoun shared one of my favorite TED Talks, Sir Ken Robinson’s “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” Students will need to learn how to code even at a basic level. More schools need to require this skill as part of the core curriculum. As noted earlier, data literacy will be extremely important. Workers will have to know how to analysis huge streams of data. Human literacy is also essential. This will naturally take into account communication and working across different cultures in a global environment. Aoun also pointed out that students will have to learn critical thinking, systems thinking, and entrepreneurship.

In order to teach these skills, schools will have to expose students to different experiences. Aoun touted experiential learning as a strategy to tie foundational knowledge to the skills that are needed in the workforce. He used Northeastern University’s successful example as a model.

A lot has to be done in the next 15 years to make this shift in perspective and approach. I have my doubts whether it can be accomplished, especially since so few academics are talking about the topic. I strongly recommend others in higher education read Robot-Proof to at least start to get ahead of this important issue.

Additional Reading

• #ATD2018 Keynote: Marcus Buckingham
• #ATD2018: Keynote: President Barack Obama
• Book Review: The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future
• #SMMW17: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and the Future of Social Media Marketing
• #SMMW18 – State of Social Media

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