AI and the Burning Platform: What Higher and Further Education Need to Do Now

AI and the Burning Platform: What Higher and Further Education Need to Do Now

Building directly on the insights from prior Ditchley-Lumina events, this discussion convenes a small group of HE and FE leaders, alongside employers and tech forecasters, to address the immediate challenges posed by artificial intelligence. While much of the discourse focuses on long-term systemic shifts, the core focus is the urgent question of what institutions must do to serve the students of today. The "burning platform" for change is no longer a theoretical horizon—it is the sudden, accelerated adoption of AI, which is already causing entry-level graduate jobs to evaporate as employers contemplate using AI to cut costs.

The conversation examines whether the more flexible operating model of FE can offer guidance to HE, and how providers can shape current provision to ensure graduates are positioned for emerging roles. The aim is to identify the practical, short-term adaptations needed to meet this moment, using these insights to anchor the Autumn 2026 Ditchley Lumina Summit in immediate actions and real-world choices.