The University of Virginia has launched a library-based AI Literacy and Action Lab, embedding hands-on AI learning directly into courses across disciplines rather than treating it as a standalone subject. A recent Handshake report cited in the article found that 85 percent of students graduating this year are using AI tools, up 31 percentage points from two years ago, and employer demand for those skills is accelerating rapidly.
The UVA dean behind the initiative framed the challenge directly: higher education’s instinct is to study a new thing until it is understood, but AI-driven change may not follow the pattern of past technological shifts. For Virginia school divisions preparing to implement Division-Managed AIS platforms, the same question applies. It is not just what tools are in the building. It is whether the people using them understand what they are doing and why. InsideHigherEd