AI's Existential Threat to Higher Education: A Wake-Up Call for Educators“The gulf between where we’re still at and how it keeps moving further and further away from the awareness and abilities of academics, the more it becomes an existential threat.”Is your institution ready for the AI revolution, or is it stuck in academic inertia? Dr. James Hudson from Lindenwood University delivers hard truths about how AI is fundamentally reshaping higher education—and why most universities are dangerously unprepared.In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Hudson reveals:- Why the traditional 4-year degree model is becoming obsolete- How AI tools are outpacing academic research and best practices- The psychology behind faculty resistance to AI adoption- Practical strategies for integrating AI in classrooms despite institutional barriers- What the "Class of 2030" needs to succeed in an AI-driven workforceWhether you're a faculty member, administrator, or education leader, this episode offers crucial insights into navigating the most significant technological disruption higher education has ever faced. Don't get left behind—the future of education is being written now.#AIxHigherEdPodcast #AIinEducation #HigherEducation #EdTech #AcademicInnovation #futureofwork 0:57 - Introduction and Moving Beyond Specialization7:07 - Rate of Change & Struggling with a Response13:42 - Faculty Awareness, Assessment Challenges, and Dated information20:20 - AI as One Higher Education Challenge22:20 - Waiting to Address AI Creates Existential Challenges25:00 - AI Collapsing Learning Trajectories26:20 -Leadership, Redirecting the Higher Education Ship, and Resistance29:15 - Disruption: AI, Modeling, and Financial Planning32:30 - AI Rapidly Accelerates Research35:24 - Rapid Change, Higher Education Decision-Making Procedures, and Requiring Faculty AI Usage41:20 - Institutional Resistance and Lack of Training43:10 - Identity, Occupational Change45:30 - New Emerging Models of Higher Ed46:00 - Automation and the Decline of Majors47:45 - Practical Steps Professors Can Take50:00 - Student Resistance to AI and the Job Market52:55 - Policies and Empower Educators55:45 - Preparing Students for the AGI World: New Curriculum and Generalization1:02:00 - Metacognition, Growth Mindset, Meta Cognition1:04:00 - Transitional Measures1:05:00 - Advice for Students and Durable SkillsDr. James Hudson is the lead XR disruptor and department head of art, history, AI, and visual culture at Lindenwood University, with a PhD in AI (2023) and extensive experience developing online education programs. He has authored over 200 publications on AI and education, serves as editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation and Education, and is a leading expert on AI's transformative impact on higher education.James Hutson LinkedIn profile James Hutson - Lindenwood University Directory - Subscribe for more episodes of https://www.youtube.com/@AIxHigherEdPodcast 🎙️Catch more episodes here:Website URL: https://aixhighered.com/