# Closing Higher Education's AI Readiness Gap with Human-First Transformation

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/changing-higher-ed-205463/closing-higher-education-s-ai-readiness-gap-with-human-first-transformation
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/changing-higher-ed-205463/closing-higher-education-s-ai-readiness-gap-with-human-first-transformation.md
Podcast: [Changing Higher Ed](https://stenobird.com/podcast/changing-higher-ed-205463)
Published: 2026-05-19T17:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://changinghighered.libsyn.com/draft-312-nikki-barua-draft-0
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/changinghighered/CHE-312_-_Nikki_Barua_FINAL.mp3?dest-id=751925
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/changing-higher-ed-205463/episodes/closing-higher-education-s-ai-readiness-gap-with-human-first-transformation
Duration seconds: 2346

## Resource

AI adoption in higher education is moving faster than institutional change models were built to handle. Students are already using AI at high rates, while many institutions are still trying to decide where AI belongs, who should lead it, and how much change is required. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast , Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Nikki Barua , serial entrepreneur and founder of FlipWork , about why higher education's traditional change management playbook will not work in the AI age. Drawing on her work with Fortune 500 companies and AI implementation, Barua explains why AI should be treated as institutional infrastructure, not an IT project. She discusses the growing gap between technology adoption and human readiness, why many AI pilots fail, and how institutions can move from slow, episodic transformation to shorter, people-centered reinvention cycles. This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, boards, provosts, CIOs, and senior leadership teams trying to prepare students, faculty, staff, and institutional systems for an AI-driven future. Topics Covered Why incremental change management cannot keep pace with AI How AI differs from previous technology disruptions like the internet and mobile Why AI should be treated as infrastructure across the institution What the AI readiness gap means for higher education leaders Why many AI pilots fail when organizations focus on tools instead of people How AI may reshape entry-level jobs and the graduate talent pipeline Why skills-based hiring is changing what students need from higher education How faculty roles may shift from content delivery to mentorship, ethics, and judgment Why liberal arts and human skills may become more valuable in the AI age How human-in-the-loop design can improv…

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