Higher Intelligence
by Dr. JC Bonilla
Latest episode
AI and the Future of Work
AI and the Future of Work
About this podcast
The AI story in higher education isn't just about technology anymore — it's about people, work, and how we prepare our institutions and students for what's next. The Higher Intelligence podcast goes beyond the hype to debate what AI truly means for the future of work and education.
Join Dr. JC Bonilla — EdTech executive, data scientist, and professor — and leaders from across higher ed and the EdTech landscape, including Alison Turcio, Brian Piper, Carrie Phillips, and Rishabh Malhotra, to debate what happens when intelligence and automation become abundant in higher education, and challenge whether our most pressing challenges are technological, or deeply human.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 138 episodes
- AI and the Future of Work · 55 min · Episode 24Host JC Bonilla hits reset to refocus Higher Intelligence on what AI means for the future of work. The AI story in higher education isn't just about technology anymore. It's…
- OpenAI’s Cyber Incident and the Rise of Open Weight Models · 18 min · Episode 23JC unpacks two headline-making AI stories every campus and institution needs to understand right now. First, he breaks down the shocking OpenAI security incident where their own…
- Building the Agentic College President · 1 h 1 min · Episode 22JC Bonilla is joined by Andrew Ramsammy, President of Vermont College of Fine Arts, for a deep dive into what it means to lead in the era of AI, especially agentic AI. JC sets…
- Content Quality in the Age of AI · 28 min · Episode 21On today's episode, JC dives into one of higher education's most pressing debates: is the flood of low-quality AI-generated content—what some call "AI slop"—the fault of the…
- Data, Agents, and the Future of Enrollment with Encoura Connect · 56 min · Episode 20JC is joined by Ty Fujimura, Chief Product Officer at Element451, and Matt Ellis, Chief Product Officer at Encoura, to dive into two rapidly evolving stories shaking the ed tech…
- Summer Recap 2026 · 38 min · Episode 19JC presents a June 2026 “State of AI” summer recap for higher education, addressing what’s true about AI, its current state, and how institutions can improve. He argues AI has…
- AI Accountability in Higher Education · 50 min · Episode 18In this episode of Higher Intelligence, Dr. JC Bonilla and guest Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner examine who decides what AI is allowed to do on campus and who holds accountability when…
- How to Buy AI in 2026 · 53 min · Episode 17JC is joined by Element451 Chief Revenue Officer Trey Boyer and VP of Customer Strategy & Technology Kelly Sinacola to discuss the complexities of buying AI in higher education…
- First 100 Days Leading AI in EdTech · 56 min · Episode 16JC is joined by Element451's CEO James Novak to explore the shifting landscape of AI and EdTech leadership in higher education. James reflects on his first 100 days…
- Bridging the Gap Between AI Pilots and Practice · 53 min · Episode 15In this episode of Higher Intelligence, JC is joined by Andrea Gilbert from Everspring to examine why most AI pilots in higher education fail to scale, emphasizing the crucial…
- AI in the New International Student Landscape · 50 min · Episode 14JC is joined by Rishab Malhotra, the founder of AIDO, to examine the current crisis in US international student enrollment, the evolving role of AI in global recruitment, and the…
- Shaping Students for an AI Future · 58 min · Episode 104JC is joined by Christopher Porter from Drake University to examine how AI is reshaping entry-level tech jobs, curriculum design, and workforce readiness in higher education…
- New Stories That Signal the Future of Higher Ed · 21 min · Episode 12JC unpacks the latest breakthroughs in visual AI from OpenAI and Google’s shift to machine-generated code, exploring what these changes mean for campus workflows and future…
- Field Notes from the AI Frontier · 24 min · Episode 11Dr. JC Bonilla goes solo, exploring the latest AI breakthroughs, including Anthropic's massive yet withheld Cloud Mythos model, the new agent-driven Claude Opus 4.7, and Meta’s…
- The AI Operating System · 47 min · Episode 10JC is joined by Element451's Head of AI Operations, Doug Smith, once again to break down Anthropic’s rapid evolution of Claude into a true AI operating system. We explore how new…
- Closing the Context Gap · 53 min · Episode 9JC is joined by Kelly Sinacola, Vice President of Solutions Engineering and Integrations for Element451, to explore the challenges and realities of implementing AI agents on…
- The Gap Between Thinking and Doing · 59 min · Episode 8JC is joined by former Generation AI co-host Ardis Kadiu to explore four pivotal stories shaping AI and higher education. JC and Ardis discuss Apple's AI-powered devices…
- The Rise of the AI Creative · 45 min · Episode 7JC is joined by Mike McGetrick to examine how AI is transforming the creative process in higher education marketing. They discuss the evolution of creative roles, the impact of…
- AI Power Struggles on Campus and Beyond · 47 min · Episode 6In this episode of Higher Intelligence, we explore the growing debate over AI control—open-source innovation versus government regulation. JC is joined by Doug Smith and James…
- Debrief: AI Skills · 10 minIn this Higher Intelligence Debrief, JC explores the rising importance of AI skills over AI models, breaking down the shift toward skills as key drivers of reliable, measurable…
