Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept reserved for research laboratories or technology companies. It is rapidly becoming the backbone of modern higher education, influencing everything from classroom instruction and curriculum design to university administration, research and student support. As institutions worldwide adapt to this technological shift, the conversation has moved beyond whether AI should be adopted to how it can be integrated responsibly and meaningfully.
This transformation formed the centrepiece of the panel discussion “AI-Enabled Universities: Transforming How Karnataka Learns, Teaches and Leads” at the Campus to Career Summit 2026 held on 15-16 May in Bengaluru, Bringing together university leaders, technology experts, policymakers and international education specialists, the session explored how Karnataka can leverage its thriving innovation ecosystem to create AI-powered universities that are inclusive, ethical and future-ready. This session was moderated by Dr Vishal Gupta, Dean (Academics) of JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Myuru.
Personalised Learning Is AI’s Greatest Contribution to Higher Education
Pattanasetty Rajashekhar, Professor of Practice & Board of Member of Advisory, Rao Bahadur Y. Mahabaleswarappa Engineering College (RYMEC), Ballari stated that artificial intelligence has already moved beyond the experimental stage. “Artificial intelligence is no more a futuristic concept. It has become a transformative approach.” He explained that conventional education systems often struggle to accommodate the diverse learning needs of students. Traditional classrooms generally follow a standardised teaching model, making it difficult to support learners with different abilities, aspirations and learning styles. AI, however, has the potential to change this by enabling personalised learning at scale.
Rajashekhar identified four areas where AI can fundamentally reshape universities: personalised learning and teaching, faculty development, university administration, and research and innovation. These four components play a significant role in integrating artificial intelligence into the university system for speedy, effective and efficient processes. His emphasis on faculty development was particularly significant. While conversations around AI frequently focus on students, he reminded the audience that educators must also continuously update their skills to maximize the benefits of intelligent technologies.
At the same time, he cautioned institutions against adopting AI without adequate planning. University leadership should decide, unit by unit, how we can actually go ahead implementing artificial intelligence. Rather than introducing AI across every department simultaneously, he recommended a phased implementation strategy beginning with areas such as research, information technology and academic administration before gradually expanding across campuses.
He also highlighted several challenges that universities must address, including digital infrastructure, financial investment, faculty readiness, cybersecurity, ethical governance and data privacy. According to him, AI can only succeed when technological advancement is supported by institutional preparedness. His observations highlighted an important reality: successful digital transformation depends as much on organisational change as on technological innovation.
AI Should Become Part of the University’s DNA
Representing an international perspective, Dr. Janaka Pushpanathan, Director, South Asia British Council, offered one of the most thought-provoking insights of the discussion by arguing that universities should stop treating AI as an external technology. “AI has become infrastructure now”, She explained that many institutions still speak about integrating AI into existing systems. However, leading universities in the United Kingdom have moved beyond this stage. Instead of adding AI to traditional academic processes, they are redesigning admissions, assessment, governance, student services and institutional planning around intelligent technologies .”The biggest change will not happen inside university classrooms. It will happen in how universities are being designed” This shift, she argued, represents a complete reimagining of higher education rather than the adoption of another digital tool.
Drawing from UK experiences, she described how universities are already using predictive analytics for student recruitment, AI-assisted assessment methods and intelligent governance systems that support evidence-based decision-making.
Another major theme of her address was international collaboration. “Collaboration lessens your time span to innovate.” She highlighted Karnataka’s growing partnerships with UK universities, noting that collaborative research allows institutions to combine complementary strengths rather than reinvent existing solutions independently.
Equally important was her emphasis on responsible AI. “Human-centred AI is not talked about much at all, but I think it’s so important.” According to her, artificial intelligence should help widen educational access rather than deepen inequalities. Universities must therefore ensure that AI benefits women, rural learners and underserved communities while maintaining high standards of ethics, transparency and accountability. Her remarks broadened the discussion beyond technology, reminding the audience that the true value of AI lies in how responsibly institutions choose to implement it.
The Future Belongs to Intelligent Universities, Not Just Digital Universities
Representing the technology sector, Hemant Sahal, & Co–Founder CEO, Digii (formerlyCollPoll) argued that universities must move beyond conventional digitisation towards truly intelligent campuses. “Gone are the days when technology was just an ERP or LMS.” According to him, earlier generations of campus technology primarily stored information. Artificial intelligence fundamentally changes this by enabling institutions to analyse data, generate insights and support informed decision-making. He introduced the idea of creating a digital twin of a university, a virtual ecosystem where every academic, administrative and operational activity is digitally connected.
To build such campuses, he proposed three interconnected dimensions: administration, learning and campus experience. Simultaneously, he suggested that universities should develop three technological layers: a system of record, a system of engagement and a system of intelligence. This framework would allow administrators to monitor institutional performance in real time, help faculty identify students requiring academic support and enable learners to receive personalized recommendations based on their goals and progress.
One of his strongest observations focused on student wellbeing. Rather than relying solely on examination scores, AI can analyse attendance, internships, extracurricular participation and learning behaviour to identify students who may require mentoring or additional support. He also challenged the perception that India lags behind in AI adoption.
Using examples such as UPI and India’s rapid rollout of 5G, he argued that the country has repeatedly leapfrogged traditional development models. “Technology is one of the largest equalisers.” In his view, AI has the potential to democratise quality education by making personalised learning, mentoring and institutional intelligence available to students regardless of geography or socioeconomic background. His presentation demonstrated that AI’s greatest strength lies not in replacing human decision-making, but in empowering universities with better information, faster insights and more responsive systems.
Universities Must Teach Students How to Learn, Not Just What to Learn
Taking the discussion from technology to pedagogy, Dr. P. Manoj, Dean, School Of Business & Campus Director, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Bengaluru stated that artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the philosophy of education. According to him, universities have traditionally focused on delivering knowledge, but in an era where information is available instantly through AI, institutions must instead focus on developing learners who can continuously adapt. “We have only been teaching them what to learn and never how to learn.” He explained that this shift is perhaps AI’s greatest contribution to education. Instead of memorising facts, students must now develop the ability to ask better questions, evaluate information critically and solve real-world problems. AI, he is accelerating this transition by making knowledge accessible within seconds.
Sharing examples from Amrita’s Business School, he described how faculty members are already using AI to create customised business case studies rather than relying on traditional Harvard case studies that students can easily find online. AI is helping faculty generate entirely new scenarios, assess student responses and even create dynamic follow-up questions based on individual answers. “We use AI to develop cases. It designs the case, evaluates the case and even asks questions based on the answers provided.” Yet despite these technological advancements, He was emphatic that teachers remain indispensable. “We have to move from being the ‘sage on the stage’ to the ‘guide by the side.'” In his view, AI will not replace educators. Instead, it will redefine their role. Faculty members will become mentors, facilitators and coaches who help students interpret information, think critically and apply knowledge rather than simply delivering lectures.
Another important point he raised was the need for universities to rethink curriculum development itself. “Curriculum as a service is where people are talking about scanning job openings on Monday and teaching those skills by Friday.” The remark illustrated the speed at which industry expectations are evolving. Instead of revising syllabi every few years, universities must create agile curricula that respond quickly to technological and employment trends.
For him , AI is not simply transforming classrooms, it is changing the very purpose of higher education by making adaptability the most valuable graduate attribute.
AI Can Bridge the Gap Between Institutions
One of the most passionate interventions came from a veteran education administrator and engineering college Dr Ashok Mehatha, Registrar, Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education, Tumkur, who repeatedly reminded the audience that embracing AI is no longer optional. “Change is the only permanent thing. If you are not able to adapt to the change, you will be extinct one day.” Speaking from decades of experience, he reflected on how technologies that once seemed revolutionary have quickly become commonplace. AI, he argued, represents the next leap and universities that hesitate today risk becoming irrelevant tomorrow.
He strongly challenged the perception that students from Tier-2 or rural colleges are inherently disadvantaged compared to those studying in premier institutions. “Today you can connect to anywhere, any part now you cannot say I have come from a rural area.” According to him, AI has the power to democratise access to quality education by making knowledge, mentorship and academic resources available regardless of geography. If supported by reliable internet connectivity, students from smaller colleges can access the same learning opportunities as those in IITs and NITs.
Another recurring theme in his address was transparency. “If AI is ethically followed and properly implemented, it will bring transparency in the total system.” For him, ethical AI extends beyond issues of morality. It also means ensuring data integrity, secure systems and transparent governance so that institutions can build trust among students, faculty and society.
He also appealed directly to governments and university leaders to invest in AI infrastructure and faculty training. “The college has to be ready to teach using AI tools, The government has to invest in this if they are interested in the upliftment of the student.” Perhaps his strongest message was directed at educators themselves. “Students are the future of the nation. Faculty should educate themselves first.” His remarks served as a reminder that technological transformation begins with institutional willingness to learn and evolve.
AI Will Make Classrooms Smarter, Not Replace Them
Technology leader Raghav Narayan, Co–Founder & CTO of Roombr Technologies Pvt Ltd addressed one of the biggest concerns surrounding AI in education, the fear that virtual learning will eventually replace physical classrooms.He dismissed that notion outright. “The physical classrooms and the teachers can never go away. AI is not going to replace these things; it is only going to augment them.” Instead of eliminating classrooms, AI will make them significantly more intelligent.
He explained that future universities will require a combination of cloud computing and edge computing to deliver faster, more secure and cost-effective AI services. Such hybrid infrastructure will reduce dependence on cloud processing while ensuring real-time classroom experiences.
Beyond infrastructure, Raghav painted a picture of what an AI-enabled classroom might look like. Teachers could use AI assistants to prepare lectures, generate examples and personalise explanations based on student needs. During classes, AI could provide real-time support by creating visualisations, answering routine questions and improving engagement.
Perhaps the most practical innovation he discussed was the idea of preserving classroom learning long after lectures end. “AI should transcribe the entire classroom discussion, summarise the lecture and chapterise the videos so that students can revisit any topic later.” Such capabilities, he argued, would make learning continuous rather than confined to classroom hours.
He also stressed that AI should support universities in tracking employability skills. By monitoring student competencies throughout their academic journey, institutions can better prepare graduates for changing industry requirements while providing targeted interventions whenever skill gaps emerge. His vision made one thing clear: AI will not remove teachers from classrooms, it will equip them with more powerful tools to deliver meaningful learning experiences.
Also Read: Designing Skill-Based Assessment Frameworks for a Future-Ready Higher Education Ecosystem
To Sum It Up
Artificial intelligence is steadily redefining what it means to be a modern university. From creating personalised learning experiences and smarter classrooms to enabling data-driven governance and global research collaborations, AI is opening new possibilities across every aspect of higher education. At the same time, the conversations made it equally clear that technology alone cannot drive meaningful change. Its success depends on responsible implementation, continuous faculty development, robust digital infrastructure and a strong commitment to ethical practices.
The insights shared at the Campus to Career (C2C) Summit 2026 reinforced that the universities of the future will be those that successfully balance technological innovation with human-centred education. As Karnataka continues to strengthen its position as India’s innovation hub, its higher education institutions have a unique opportunity to lead the way in building AI-enabled campuses that not only embrace digital transformation but also prepare students to thrive in an increasingly intelligent and interconnected world.
