2026 Predictions for AI and Ed Tech: What Industry Leaders Are Stating
In an open call last month, we asked education-serving market leaders to weigh in on how advancements in AI and ed tech will impact colleges and universities in the coming year. A lot of their actions centered on artificial intelligence and education technology. Here’s what they told us.
AI Will Impact Registration, Ease Of Access, Trainee Support, and More
“In 2026, forward-thinking colleges and universities will make the information they currently have work much better for them, and for their trainees. For many years, organizations have actually gathered abundant signals about trainee readiness through assessments, records, and applications. Too often, that info is siloed once a trainee enlists. As numerous colleges continue to face enrollment headwinds, savvy leaders will put their data to work, to ensure they can retain students from day one. Instead of waiting on failure signals a number of weeks– or terms– in, organizations will utilize AI to consume admissions information along other vital inputs to develop a day-one plan. Trainees will arrive on school with a tailored scholastic strategy that includes expected support, course sequencing, and career-relevant insights to guarantee success. In 2026, the institutions that support registration will be those that treat admissions information not as a fixed snapshot, but as a living structure for student success– using trusted assessments and AI together to move from access to completion, and from intent to outcomes.”– Steve Tapp, CEO, ACT
“By 2026, AI will begin to move out of the margins of college, and the first examples of what the next ‘running design’ for AI in higher ed will look like. Instead of existing as chatbots or pilot tools, AI will start to appear as more deeply incorporated infrastructure at a small– but growing– number of organizations. In these early cases, AI will be ingrained throughout encouraging, profession navigation, and student services, making it possible for personalization at a scale human-only systems can’t reach. Successful organizations will not be those attempting to replace faculty or consultants, but those using AI to extend their reach, leveraging it to manage routine, high-volume interactions so staff can focus on complex, high-touch trainee needs. At the very same time, organizations ought to expect more pressure to show real-world outcomes from their AI usage. Early adopters will highlight how AI systems that connect learning to labor market data, company expectations, and profession pathways can enhance student success and institutional significance. The genuine divide in 2026 won’t just be in between AI adopters and non-adopters, however between institutions explore separated tools and those beginning to integrate AI attentively into their mission.”– Jared Chung, founder and executive director, CareerVillage