Over the past several weeks, I have had the privilege of participating in numerous education, industry and technology discussions focused on how Indiana can prepare for the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence (AI). These conversations with educators, policymakers and industry leaders were a powerful reminder of the strength of Indiana’s ecosystem when we work together.

At Ascend Indiana, we believe collaboration between higher education, employers and government is essential to preparing Hoosiers for the future of work. As AI continues to reshape industries, ensuring our talent pipelines evolve alongside these changes will be critical to Indiana’s long-term competitiveness.

A central question emerged consistently from these discussions: How do we build a workforce that can continuously adapt as technology advances at unprecedented speed?

From these conversations, three key takeaways stood out.

1. A Shared Starting Point for Industry and Education

While some large Indiana employers are leading in AI adoption, many small- and medium-sized businesses – the backbone of our economy – are still early in their journey. AI is not a one-size-fits-all solution; it impacts every industry, role and process differently, and it is evolving faster than any technology in recent history. As a result, organizations are at widely varying stages of adoption and much remains to be learned about how best to apply it.

At the same time, education and workforce leaders are looking to industry to define the skills needed for the future. Contrary to common belief, industry is not significantly ahead of education in understanding how AI should be integrated into work and learning. Employers and educators are grappling with similar questions: how to use AI responsibly, how to redesign roles and processes and how to prepare people to work effectively alongside intelligent technologies.

This shared starting point presents a unique opportunity. Rather than operating in isolation, Indiana can deepen collaboration between employers, educators and workforce leaders to develop forward-looking strategies that align AI adoption with real-world needs.

2. The Need for a Common Language and Clear Signals

As AI becomes relevant across industries and academic disciplines, one challenge surfaced repeatedly: we are not always speaking the same language.

Employers describe needs in terms of tools, use cases and productivity gains. Educators translate those needs into competencies, courses and credentials. Too often, those translations don’t fully align, which makes it harder for institutions to design relevant programs and for employers to evaluate emerging talent.

Without a shared understanding of what “AI skills” actually mean in practice, we risk creating confusion in the marketplace for students, educators and employers alike.

There is an opportunity for Indiana to lead here. By working together to define clear, practical frameworks, determine what skills matter, how they are applied and how they are measured, we can create stronger alignment between learning and work.

This is not about standardization for its own sake. It is about creating clearer signals so that education providers can adapt more quickly, employers can engage more confidently and learners can navigate their pathways with greater certainty.

3. Integrating AI into Existing Curricula

The process of developing and accrediting new degrees is slow and often lags technological change. This is especially pronounced given the rapid pace of AI innovation. Creating AI-specific degrees risks producing programs that are outdated by the time they launch. More flexible approaches are needed, such as embedding AI-related skills and applications into existing majors, allowing curricula to evolve quickly without requiring full degree re-accreditation.

AI is advancing faster than any technology in modern history, and for many, that speed creates uncertainty. I believe it also creates opportunity to rethink and strengthen Indiana’s education and workforce systems. By working together, we can move beyond reactive solutions and build an aligned, sustainable and adaptable workforce ecosystem that positions Hoosiers—and our state—for success in an AI-driven future.