As AI (artificial intelligence) continues to reshape industries, Complete College America (CCA) launched its Council on Equitable AI in 2024, a significant move that addresses systemic inequities in higher education.

The council’s mission is to ensure that AI technology is developed and implemented to promote inclusivity rather than amplify privilege. This initiative highlights AI’s growing role in educational settings and its potential to advance student success.

The council is composed of representatives from historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-serving institutions, all institutions of higher education serving groups who have been marginalized.

According to CCA, “Equitable AI spans far beyond the risk of mis-trained data. The way schools adopt or reject these tools, the priorities of AI vendors, and the inclusion of historically underrepresented voices will shape whether AI fosters inclusivity or amplifies privilege.”

The Council on Equitable AI urges policymakers, technologists, and funders to collaborate to ensure AI adoption prioritizes equity. CCA’s approach focuses on increasing educational attainment for underrepresented students by ensuring that their voices play a central role in the development of new technologies. The council believes AI can build on existing initiatives across states and campuses, enhancing student success practices.

“Generative AI can be an effective tool in the college attainment toolbox,” CCA said in a statement, emphasizing its potential to create innovative pathways for students in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

In “The AI Divide: Equitable Applications of AI in Higher Education to Advance the Completion Agenda,” CCA outlines how thoughtful implementation is essential for addressing educational inequities. Without proper oversight, there are risks of perpetuating or exacerbating existing disparities in higher education, such as unequal access to resources between well-funded institutions and underresourced community colleges, racial and socioeconomic biases in admissions algorithms, and limited support for first-generation and nontraditional students.

For example, AI-driven admissions tools could favor students from affluent backgrounds by overvaluing test scores or extracurriculars that require financial investment, further marginalizing low-income applicants. Additionally, biased datasets in AI systems may reinforce negative stereotypes or lead to inequitable distribution of academic support, such as tutoring or mentorship programs, disproportionately affecting students of color and those from disadvantaged communities.

Key components of the equity strategy include mitigating algorithmic bias through diverse datasets and promoting inclusive policymaking. CCA encourages proportional investment in AI capabilities across all institutions to ensure that all students, regardless of their school’s resources, benefit from the technology. The Council is actively developing best practices, policies, and research on how it can be equitably applied in higher education.

Greenville Technical College (GTC) joined CCA in 2023 as part of a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded initiative aimed at improving equitable student outcomes. Larry Miller, PhD, vice president of learning and workforce development at GTC, was invited to serve on CCA’s Council on Equitable AI. His involvement underscores the importance of including institutions that historically lacked access to AI resources.

“It is going to take a knowledgeable and skilled workforce to realize AI’s promised productivity gains,” Miller wrote on GTC’s website. He added, “Greenville Technical College is proud to take a leading role in incorporating AI-enhanced equipment into our new world-class welding facility and AI-powered robotics.”

GTC’s commitment to student success is evident in its adoption of AI tools designed to support students’ unique learning needs and remove barriers to graduation. The college’s transitional studies team, part of CCA’s guided pathways reform, has introduced a new co-requisite model ensuring that all students enter curriculum-level courses with the necessary support, thereby promoting equitable pathways to success.

The University at Albany (UAlbany) is a leader in AI adoption in higher education through its AI Plus initiative, launched in 2022. With a $75 million investment from New York State, UAlbany set out to integrate AI into every facet of university life.

President Havidán Rodríguez, PhD, emphasized the university’s commitment to using AI in equitable and ethical ways in a public statement: “As a diverse public institution, we have a special obligation to ensure this transformative new technology is developed and deployed in ways that are equitable, ethical, and trustworthy. And we are up to that challenge.”

This technology is becoming intertwined with nearly every academic discipline, and UAlbany has developed coursework across all majors, including new offerings in non-STEM disciplines such as the School of Social Welfare’s course Artificial Intelligence and Social Justice. This interdisciplinary approach prepares students for a world where AI will impact every sector, ensuring that they are equipped to use it in ways that benefit society.

To support its AI Plus initiative, UAlbany embarked on its largest faculty cluster hire, bringing in 27 specialists across various departments, including political science, philosophy, and public health. New hires like Haesol Bae, in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, are already working on projects such as designing curricula for rural middle school students, emphasizing ethical considerations in AI’s role in society.

The AI Plus Institute connects faculty from across the university to foster interdisciplinary research, ensuring that the technology’s potential is fully realized in fields like climate change, public health, and nanotechnology. Researchers like Yanna Liang, PhD, chair of the Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering, are using AI to tackle environmental challenges, including the removal of harmful chemicals from farm soils.

In addition to advancements, UAlbany’s AI Plus Institute is also addressing the ethical implications of the technology. Philosophy professor Jason D’Cruz, PhD, in collaboration with IBM Research, explores how AI systems can understand human behavior and exhibit empathy, a critical component for application in high-stakes areas like banking and criminal justice.

As AI continues to evolve, both GTC and UAlbany are paving the way for its equitable integration in higher education. By involving historically underrepresented voices, these institutions are ensuring that AI benefits all students.