As educators, leaders, employers, and innovators, we all have a role to play in shaping how technology influences the future of learning. The question isn't whether AI will change higher education—it already is. The question is whether we'll use it to create more opportunity, remove more barriers, strengthen more human connections and help more learners achieve what once felt impossible.

Artificial intelligence is changing work faster than any technological shift in modern history. Our strategic partnership with Anthropic is built to address this opportunity. Entire categories of jobs are evolving, with forty percent of core skills expected to change by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum. In lieu of incremental improvements, the challenge before us is creating an entirely new model of learning that helps individuals continuously develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to remain relevant in a rapidly changing economy.

Students who feel seen and understood are more likely to remain engaged, ask for help, and persist when challenges arise.

WGU Academy recently implemented a proactive, AI-powered guide designed to help students build and maintain momentum — not just when they ask for help, but when they’re most likely to get stuck.

As industries face a growing skills gap and a retiring workforce, the relationship between higher education and employers is more critical than ever.

This week, Western Governors University awarded its 500,000th degree. But this milestone is about far more than a number. It represents hundreds of thousands of personal transformations and millions of ripple effects that extend well beyond a single graduate.