Conference on AI and Higher Education

The AAC&U Conference on AI and Higher Education takes place on 28–30 October 2026 at the Hilton in Atlanta, Georgia, with an online attendance option, organised by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Rather than approaching AI from a technical or vendor angle, it examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping teaching, learning, institutional operations and the future of academic work — and how colleges can move from scattered experimentation toward coordinated, institution-wide strategy.

Through what the organisers describe as evidence-informed dialogue and cross-functional collaboration, the programme explores responsible AI adoption, institutional governance, academic integrity, curricular transformation, workforce preparation and operational innovation. The emphasis falls squarely on strategy and ethics: attendees are promised concrete tools, cross-institutional insights and collaborative connections, alongside discussion of longer-term governance, policy and ethical considerations and how to protect human judgement and institutional values as AI use spreads. The conference is designed for a broad campus audience — faculty, presidents, provosts and academic leaders, student-affairs professionals, IT specialists, librarians, researchers and administrators. Formats include pre-conference workshops and multiple session tracks. For higher-education professionals trying to align AI initiatives with institutional mission, this is a rare gathering pitched at the level of whole-institution transformation rather than the individual classroom.