Beyond generative AI lies Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – potentially arriving within 6-18 months. This session provides higher education leaders with essential AGI context, expert forecasts, and analysis of projected impacts on students, institutions, and teaching practices, plus strategic frameworks for preparation and adaptation.

While higher education institutions are still adapting to generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, a more transformative technology looms on the horizon. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – systems that match or exceed human cognitive abilities across all domains – could emerge within 6-18 months, fundamentally reshaping the educational landscape.

This session provides educational leaders with essential context about AGI: what it is, how it differs from current AI tools, and what leading experts forecast about its capabilities and timeline. Moving beyond the current focus on generative AI applications, participants will explore AGI's potential to automate complex reasoning, conduct comprehensive research in minutes, and provide truly personalized tutoring at an unprecedented scale.

The presentation examines AGI's projected impact across three critical areas: student learning experiences, institutional operations, and teaching methodologies. Attendees will gain insights into how AGI could transform everything from curriculum design and assessment practices to research processes and credential validation. Key discussion points include the shifting value proposition of traditional degree programs, the acceleration from semester-based to just-in-time learning models, and the evolution of faculty roles from knowledge providers to learning facilitators.
 

Drawing from experience with AI implementation in higher education, this forward-looking session helps institutional leaders understand the magnitude of change ahead and begin strategic preparation. Rather than waiting for AGI to arrive, participants will learn why building organizational readiness now – through current AI integration, flexible curriculum design, and adaptive institutional structures – is essential for thriving in an AGI-enhanced educational ecosystem.

Participants will leave with informed predictions about AGI's timeline and impact, practical frameworks for institutional preparation, and strategic insights for positioning their institutions to leverage rather than be disrupted by this unprecedented technological advancement.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand what AGI is and how it differs from current generative AI tools
• Analyze expert forecasts about AGI capabilities, timeline, and societal impact
• Evaluate AGI's potential effects on student learning, institutional operations, and teaching practices
• Develop strategic frameworks for institutional preparation and adaptation
• Identify immediate actions for building AGI readiness through current AI integration

Tawnya Means

Strategic Innovation & AI Advisor to the Provost at Bowling Green State University

Tawnya Means is a leading voice in educational innovation with over two decades of experience guiding institutions through technological transformation. As Founding Partner and Principal of Inspire Higher Ed consulting firm (https://inspirehighered.com/), she has worked with universities across six continents on online learning strategy and AI integration. Her work focuses on where ancient educational wisdom meets cutting-edge technology, exploring how AI can create truly personalized, engaging learning experiences at scale. As a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, she brings both visionary perspective and practical implementation experience to help institutions enhance the irreplaceable human connections that make education meaningful.

Tawnya is author of The Collaboration Chronicle: Human+AI in Education: https://tawnyameans.substack.com/