Alabama Higher Education AI Exchange explores how higher education can prepare Alabama's AI-ready workforce

Higher education, industry and government leaders from across Alabama gathered at Auburn University on July 21 for the Alabama Higher Education AI Exchange: Classroom to Career to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping the workforce and what it means for the future of higher education.

Hosted by Auburn University's Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (Biggio Center), in partnership with the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and the Alabama Association for Colleges and Employers, the statewide event brought together experts from business, education and government to explore how institutions can prepare graduates with the technical expertise and human-centered skills needed to thrive in an AI-enabled workforce.

Throughout the day, keynote speakers and panelists returned to a common message: preparing students for an AI-enabled workforce requires more than teaching technical AI skills. Success will depend on graduates who can combine AI knowledge with communication, critical thinking, adaptability and ethical decision-making.

Morning Keynotes

Amy Bontrager, director at the U.S. Digital Service within the Executive Office of the President, challenged higher education to think beyond preparing students for their first job and instead activate Alabama's ecosystem of higher education, industry and government to prepare them for lifelong careers in a rapidly evolving workforce.

Jon Barnhart, director of research advisory services at EAB, explored how employer expectations are evolving as AI becomes more integrated into everyday work. He encouraged institutions to combine AI knowledge with experiential learning and durable professional skills that enable graduates to contribute immediately to the workplace.

Morning Panel Sessions

Following the morning keynotes, attendees selected from concurrent panel discussions focused on AgTech and food security, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, and AI literacy.

AgTech & Food Security

The AgTech & Food Security panel explored how higher education can prepare students for careers in an increasingly technology-driven agricultural industry. Blake Thaxton, executive director of the Alabama Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association and commodity director of the Alabama Farmers Federation, pointed to Auburn faculty member Tanzeel Rahman, assistant professor in Biosystems Engineering, as an example of the interdisciplinary expertise students should experience in higher education.

"Dr. Tanzeel Rahman is a great example of what I think we need more of in higher education for this kind of interdisciplinary idea... he is an ag engineer, but he also has a role in the Department of Horticulture," said Thaxton.

Panelists emphasized that preparing graduates for the future workforce requires interdisciplinary knowledge, adaptability and the ability to apply AI tools alongside expertise in agriculture, engineering and data-informed decision-making.

Cybersecurity & Critical Infrastructure

Cybersecurity leaders described AI as both a powerful defense tool and an emerging challenge as cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated. They emphasized the importance of secure system design, governance and collaboration across industry, government and higher education to prepare professionals who can protect critical infrastructure while responsibly deploying AI technologies.

"Not training them on artificial intelligence puts this country at a huge national security disadvantage, because we need them to be able to leverage artificial intelligence in the future," said Calvin Nobles, portfolio vice president and dean of the School of Cybersecurity and Information Technology at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

The discussion reinforced the need for graduates who can understand both the capabilities and risks of AI while applying it within secure, responsible systems.

AI Literacy

The AI Literacy panel emphasized that AI literacy extends far beyond learning how to write prompts. Panelists described it as the ability to understand how AI works, evaluate its outputs critically, recognize its limitations and use it ethically and responsibly in academic and professional settings. They agreed that AI literacy should become a foundational skill that prepares students to work effectively with AI throughout their careers rather than simply use AI tools.

"Instead of this whole idea that AI is going away, we need to ignore it, it's not. It's here, it's staying, it's evolving daily and what can we do?" said Laura Pitts, assistant professor of library services and faculty fellow for experiential learning at Jacksonville State University.

The conversation underscored the importance of moving beyond tool-specific training toward durable skills that help students evaluate and adapt to rapidly evolving technologies.

Lunch Keynote

Peter Clardy, director of clinical enterprise at Google Health, discussed how AI is transforming health care and what that shift means for the professionals entering the field. His keynote highlighted a move from AI as a standalone tool to AI as part of the broader infrastructure and fundamental systems that support health care, underscoring the need to prepare graduates with the judgment and adaptability to work alongside AI and use it purposefully throughout their careers.

Afternoon Panel Sessions

Afternoon discussions continued the workforce focus through panels examining data and business analytics, manufacturing, ethics and public trust, and banking and finance.

Data & Business Analytics

Panelists discussed how organizations increasingly rely on AI to analyze large volumes of information and support faster, more informed decision-making. They emphasized, however, that effective AI depends on high-quality data, strong governance and professionals who understand how to organize, interpret and communicate data responsibly rather than relying solely on AI-generated insights.

"I personally value their [students'] hunger for learning and experimenting a lot more; their adaptability, being capable of thinking, 'what are the right tools?'" said Kamand Bagherian, co-founder and chief technology officer of Gradly.

Panelists ultimately pointed to adaptability and data fluency as increasingly valuable skills as the tools organizations use continue to evolve.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing leaders highlighted how AI is transforming operations by improving safety, streamlining workflows and helping organizations make better use of the vast amounts of data generated across manufacturing facilities. At the same time, they emphasized that curiosity, communication, sound judgment, courage and the ability to collaborate across generations will remain essential as AI continues transforming manufacturing careers.

"The people skills, we can't get away from it; they're even more important...more now than ever," said Connie Buskness, director of NA ESH at Evonik Technology & Infrastructure.

Ethics & Public Trust

The Ethics & Public Trust panel explored questions surrounding privacy, transparency, bias and accountability as AI becomes more deeply integrated into education, business and society. Panelists agreed that public trust will depend not only on the technology itself, but also on how organizations protect personal information, communicate openly about AI use and ensure humans remain responsible for important decisions.

"You should always question whether this is the appropriate answer for something or whether this information is correct, and the only way that you can do that is if you have 100 percent transparency," said William Lutz, AI and emerging technology strategist at Oracle.

The panel emphasized that maintaining trust in an AI-enabled world will require professionals who are prepared to question outputs, understand how decisions are made and take responsibility for how AI is used.

Banking & Finance

As AI becomes more integrated into banking and financial services, panelists stressed that graduates will need both technical knowledge and strong interpersonal skills. While AI is improving efficiency across the industry, communication, critical thinking, sound judgment and relationship building remain essential for serving customers, evaluating information responsibly and making informed financial decisions.

"There is a shift away from the technical interview questions," said Mandy Devereux, executive director of Career & Employer Initiatives at Auburn University's Harbert College of Business. "The thought is that a lot of students can answer those with AI. We want to make sure we get those characteristics and those durable skills."

Across every keynote and panel discussion, one message remained consistent: preparing Alabama's future workforce requires more than teaching people how to use AI. Success will depend on helping students and professionals develop the judgment, adaptability, ethical reasoning and communication skills needed to work alongside AI throughout their careers.

Additional resources from the Alabama Higher Education AI Exchange are available at https://aub.ie/aiexchange.