ACT’s lead research scientist Jeff Schiel joins the AI x Higher Ed Podcast to unpack a new report on how U.S. high school students view AI—and how those views relate to AI training in school, intended college major, and gender. We talk about what “moderate” training really means (as students see it), why attitudes differ across majors (hello, business/CS vs. arts), the gender optimism gap and the power of role models, limitations of cross-sectional surveys, and where the research goes next (including AI in admissions).Chapters00:00 Key findings at a glance: training, majors, gender00:32 Welcome & study overview: why ACT asked students about AI01:44 What motivated the research + core questions (trust, impact, preparedness)04:01 Who was surveyed and why ACT test-takers matter05:37 What counts as “moderate” AI training? (self-reported)07:20 Only ~8% reported moderate/extensive training—should higher ed worry?10:02 Arts majors’ concerns vs. optimism in business/CS/math12:16 AI, CS jobs, and what the study did—and didn’t—measure14:57 Gender optimism gap & promoting female AI role models19:05 Methods: ~4.7% response rate and survey caveats23:02 Cross-sectional limits; ideas for longitudinal follow-up24:21 Do AI tools build skills? (critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity)26:29 “Lukewarm” on college prep—until training enters the picture31:14 Takeaways for campus leaders (correlation ≠ causation)36:18 Sneak peek: new ACT study on AI in admissions38:20 Wrap-up & what’s nextDr. Jeff Schiel is a lead research scientist on ACT’s applied research team, specializes in the design and methodology of surveys and survey sampling. You can read the full ACT report at https://leadershipblog.act.org/2025/08/ACT-research-gen-z-students-and-AI.html #AIinEducation #HigherEd #StudentVoice #EdTech #ACT #GenAI #STEM #ArtsEducation #EquityInAI #ComputerScience