Higher Intelligence

JC 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 world: the high-stakes drama of AI governance, sparked by the latest developments around Anthropic’s Mythos/Fable models and export bans, and the staggering costs and ROI projections of AI software in higher ed.  Ty and Ma...

JC 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 shifted from chatbots to agentic operating layers and that model leadership is now contested among OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, DeepSeek, and Z.AI, making single-vendor strategies outdated. The episode concludes with a live discu...

In 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 AI goes wrong. They discuss recent government intervention in AI model deployment, the rise of AI-powered academic discovery, and the emergence of agentic AI workflows in higher education. Drawing on leadership frameworks a...

JC 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. They examine why many campuses struggle to realize ROI on AI investments, highlight the pitfalls of shiny demos and vaporware, and emphasize frameworks for selecting the right problems to solve. The conversation covers dat...

JC 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, transformational AI strategies, and the emergence of agentic workflows. The conversation unpacks recent industry research, best practices for deploying AI at scale, and actionable advice for higher ed leaders looking to drive impact a...

In 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 role of leadership and change management over technology itself. They explore actionable frameworks for moving from pilot to implementation, the importance of measurable outcomes, and how institutions can redesign workflows...

JC 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 impact of new federal regulations on AI models. JC and Rishab discuss data-driven strategies for enrollment, AI-powered personalization, and operational improvements, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities fa...

JC 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. They explore the rapid decline of traditional roles, the increasing demand for AI fluency, and how programs like Drake University's AI major are bridging skills gaps. The conversation highlights integrating ethics, interdisci...

JC  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 graduate skills. The episode highlights a practical framework for institutions to move from pilot projects to real AI value, offering actionable insights for higher education leaders navigating rapid technological change. - -...

Dr. 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 pivot to frontier AI with MuseSpark. He also shares insights from several major higher ed conferences, highlighting the shift from AI “talkers” to agentic “doers,” the vital role of skill portability, and how institutions m...

JC 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 releases are redefining productivity for users and higher education leaders. The conversation contrasts Anthropic’s strategy with OpenAI’s decision to sunset Sora, highlighting shifting priorities in the AI platform race....

JC 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 campus. They discuss the critical context gap in higher education, data silos, and the obstacles posed by legacy systems. Insights include strategies for building unified data layers, fostering collaboration between vendors an...

JC 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, SpaceX's universal cellular connectivity, Anthropic's transformative AI code review tools, and Andrew Karpathy's auto-research agent for experiment automation. The hosts break down how these advancements are redefining workflows,...

JC 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-powered tools like Adobe Firefly, and the balance between efficiency and authentic brand storytelling. JC and Mike also explore AI’s role in democratizing content creation, maintaining authenticity, and reshaping creativ...

In 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 Gress to unpack the explosive rise (and security risks) of OpenClaw, the first mass-market autonomous AI agent. They also analyze a high-stakes standoff between Anthropic and the U.S. government over AI ethics and military u...

In 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 AI outcomes, especially in higher education. JC explains what defines an AI skill, shares practical examples, and highlights how skills enable scalable, trustworthy automation for tasks like admissions, student success, and...

In this episode of Higher Intelligence, Dr. JC Bonilla and Paul Russo explore the groundbreaking "intelligence placement" thesis and the 2028 global intelligence crisis predicted by Trinity Research. They unpack the implications of AI-driven disruption in higher education, discuss the decline of the intelligence premium, and debate which human skills remain irreplaceable. The conversation covers r...

In this Debrief, JC provides an overview of the key differences between chatbots and agentic AI, emphasizing the importance of memory, goal orientation, and autonomy. He breaks down the four key pillars of agentic AI and introduces context engineering as essential for effective, relevant AI in higher education. Listeners learn how identity, behavior, history, and institutional context shape smarte...

Stella Liu joins JC explore the complexities of AI trust and evaluation in higher education. They discuss AI’s imperfect nature, the latest trends in open-source agents, and strategies for measuring and deploying AI responsibly. The conversation highlights practical approaches to scenario-based testing, differentiates between frontier models and endpoint solutions, and emphasizes balancing conveni...

In this bonus episode of Higher Intelligence, Dr. JC Bonilla sits down with Claire Zau at the 2025 Agentic AI and the Student Experience conference to unpack the evolving landscape of agentic AI. They explore the shift from perception and generative AI to agentic AI that acts independently, discuss its transformative potential in higher education, and share insights on student experience, workflow...

Explore the rise of agentic AI in higher education with Brian Gann, Vice President for Enrollment & Student Services at Wake Technical Community College, and Justin May, Chief Officer of Enrollment Management at Richard Bland College, who discuss how colleges are integrating AI agents to support enrollment, advising, and student services. The conversation covers the latest AI advancements, practic...

In this bonus episode, we revisit JC's conversation with Kelly Sinacola this week at the AI Engage Summit, where they break down the architecture behind an agentic campus—and what it truly means to be “AI-ready.” Agentic AI can only perform as well as the data ecosystem that powers it. As campuses move toward AI-driven operations, the institutions that succeed will be those that unify data, elimin...

JC Bonilla is joined by Ty Fujimura and Sydney Blozan of Element451 to unpack the recent leap in AI’s capabilities — from being just a tool to becoming a trusted teammate. Together, they explore the Claude vs. ChatGPT debate, and the real-world implications of these tools on workflows, strategy, and higher ed operations. This fast-paced, insight-packed conversation gives higher ed leaders and enro...

Welcome to the debut episode of Higher Intelligence, a podcast that delivers smart takes on AI and EdTech for the next-generation campus. As our first guest, host Dr. JC Bonilla is joined by Dr. Paul Russo , Vice Provost and Founding Dean of the Katz School of Science and Health at Yeshiva University. Together, they break down AI trends reshaping the future of higher education. From autonomous age...

The Higher Intelligence podcast delivers smart takes on AI and EdTech for the next-generation campus. Hosted by EdTech executive, data scientist, and professor Dr. JC Bonilla, the show breaks down the most important AI stories, explains how the technology works, and translates hype into real implications for higher education leaders.  Join us twice weekly for clear thinking with no noise — just AI...