Universities are facing calls to rethink how long they teach artificial intelligence skills, not just what they teach, as AI adoption spreads rapidly across American life.
According to Pew Research Center, roughly half of U.S. adults now use AI tools in their everyday lives, up from about one-third in 2024. People are using the technology for tasks ranging from financial planning to travel booking and healthcare questions.
But research suggests that using AI and using it well are two different things. A study by researchers at Harvard Business School and Boston Consulting Group found that consultants using leading AI models produced higher-quality work and finished tasks faster, but only when they understood where the technology’s strengths and weaknesses lay. When consultants leaned on AI for tasks outside its competence, their work was actually worse than that of a control group that didn’t use AI at all.
The researchers called this uneven pattern of capability AI’s “jagged frontier” — the technology is extremely capable at some tasks and surprisingly weak at others. That boundary shifts as models improve, but it never disappears, which means knowing where it currently sits is central to using AI effectively.
A Skill Needed at Every Life Stage
That kind of judgment matters across age groups and careers. A recent college graduate might use AI to write software or analyze data. A mid-career manager might use it to automate routine work or test business ideas. A retiree might use it to sort through healthcare information or compare Medicare options.
In each case, people need more than the ability to open an app. They need to know which questions to ask, how much to trust the answers, and when to double-check with an expert — whether they’re filling out tax forms, comparing loan terms, or reviewing legal paperwork.
Some in higher education argue colleges and universities are well-positioned to help, since many already run continuing education programs, professional certificates, executive education, and alumni outreach that could be expanded to include ongoing AI instruction.
MIT already offers professional courses in AI prompt engineering. Other institutions are experimenting with similar efforts — one organization recently launched a free Applied AI microcredential aimed at alumni across industries, covering basic AI terminology through issues like AI bias.
Advocates for this approach say the offerings don’t have to be limited to career training. They point to potential uses such as helping new parents evaluate AI-generated health advice for their children, or giving retirees workshops on spotting AI-driven financial scams.
The broader argument is that AI literacy is becoming as important as digital literacy was a generation ago, and that universities — which have historically helped people adapt to major technological shifts — have an opening to serve as lifelong partners in that education rather than a one-time stop for degree-seekers.
