Strategic AI Adoption in Higher Education: Key Takeaways from Our UK Panel with Mary Curnock Cook CBE

‍A Conversation on the Future of AI in Higher Education

Artificial intelligence is transforming how universities operate, from assessment and feedback to student engagement and academic support. Yet, strategic adoption requires balancing innovation with ethics, governance, and long-term value for learners.

These themes anchored our recent UK panel, “AI in UK Higher Education: Leadership Insights on Strategic Adoption,” chaired by Mary Curnock Cook CBE, Chair at the Dyson Institute and Pearson UK. With her deep understanding of policy, leadership, and governance, Mary set the tone for a conversation about using AI not just efficiently, but responsibly.

She was joined by three sector voices approaching AI from distinct, complementary perspectives:

• Professor Anthony Moss, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education & Student Experience) at London South Bank University, spoke from the institutional leadership viewpoint. Drawing on his background in psychology and special educational needs, Moss emphasized that universities must ensure AI “doesn’t simply digitize existing inequalities.” At LSBU, his teams are exploring AI’s role in marking and feedback through the Jisc pilot programme, using LearnWise AI to test how feedback tools can increase consistency and speed without removing the human touch.
  
  
• Jo Wickremasinghe, Chief Product & Technology Officer at BPP Education Group, brought a practitioner’s lens from an organization spanning universities, apprenticeships, and professional qualifications. A technologist with experience at Microsoft, the BBC, and Which?, Jo shared how BPP is embedding AI across its ecosystem, from automating student support workflows to piloting AI feedback & grading assistants and using note-taking tools to free up staff time for more meaningful learner interaction. Her message was clear: start small, prove value, build trust.
  
  
• Greg Marschall offered the industry perspective, urging institutions and vendors to co-design solutions rather than retrofit technology. Greg outlined how LearnWise helps universities like BPP, Westminster, Bath Spa, and LSBU implement AI across student support and assessment, for example through AI tutoring in the LMS, and feedback tools to preserve faculty oversight and academic integrity.

Together, they explored how institutions can implement AI in education responsibly, improve the student experience, and enhance teaching efficiency, without losing the human connection that defines great teaching and learning.

From Experimentation to Strategy: The New Phase of AI in Higher Ed

Mary Curnock Cook opened the discussion by positioning AI adoption as a leadership and governance challenge, not just a technical initiative. She noted that the conversation around AI in UK higher education has shifted rapidly: from curiosity to structured, evidence-based implementation.

As Professor Moss observed, universities are still defining the boundaries of AI use: “what to do, what not to do,” he said, “but we’re committed to ensuring AI doesn’t simply digitize existing inequalities.” At LSBU, AI pilots are helping faculty tackle time pressures in grading while improving feedback consistency, without sacrificing the human judgment central to academic quality.

Jo Wickremasinghe added that the sector’s mindset is changing too: from fear and overwhelm to experimentation and enablement. BPP’s approach focuses on augmenting staff capabilities, not replacing them, using AI to automate administrative tasks and free time for deeper learner support.

Greg underscored the importance of starting small and iterating, “getting to first base before trying to hit a home run.” Through partnerships with Jisc and institutions across the UK, LearnWise is enabling measured AI adoption through integrations in LMSs like Brightspace, Moodle, and Canvas, allowing institutions to test impact safely and scale what works.

Efficiency, Equity, and the Student Experience

The conversation quickly turned to one of higher education’s biggest pain points, faculty workload. Moss emphasized that AI’s true potential lies in reclaiming time for “the human work that matters,” such as coaching and mentoring students.

By integrating AI in assessment and feedback workflows, institutions can improve turnaround times while maintaining academic rigor and equity. “If we can use AI to make marking more consistent,” Moss shared, “we can actually raise quality and fairness, not diminish it.”

This aligns with a broader trend across UK universities using AI feedback systems to balance efficiency and academic integrity.

Leading Digital Transformation: Lessons from BPP Education Group

Jo Wickremasinghe brought a practitioner’s lens to the conversation. Throughout her career, she has seen how legacy systems and organizational culture can slow innovation.

“When I joined BPP, generative AI wasn’t even on our roadmap,” she said. “Three years later, it’s central to our transformation strategy.”

BPP has deployed AI in learning and administrative processes, from automated student support to AI-assisted feedback and note-taking tools for apprenticeship coaches.

Her advice for digital leaders:

“Start small. Prove value incrementally. Build trust. Once people see the benefit, time saved, better data, improved learner outcomes, momentum grows naturally.”

This reflects a pattern seen across the UK: higher education leaders are prioritizing safe experimentation and AI governance, ensuring tools are implemented ethically and transparently.

Building AI Literacy and Governance Frameworks

One major audience question addressed how institutions can build AI literacy among faculty and students while maintaining ethical use.

Both Moss and Wickremasinghe stressed the need for principles-based guidance over static policies that quickly become outdated.

BPP’s governance group, led jointly by technology, legal, and academic leaders, developed clear policies for safe AI use while encouraging experimentation. As Jo explained, “We want people to use these tools, but safely. It’s about empowerment, not restriction.”

Mary echoed that point: “The most effective frameworks are flexible and values-driven, grounded in principles like transparency, do-no-harm, and inclusivity.”

5. The Industry Perspective: Partnership, Not Replacement

Greg emphasized that vendors and universities must co-design the future of AI in education.

“We need to meet institutions where they are,” Marschall said. “That means listening, iterating, and building step by step. The best results come from small, measurable pilots, not five-year plans.”

He described how AI-powered feedback and tutoring are being used across UK institutions, like LSBU, BPP, Bath Spa, Westminster, and the University of Gloucestershire, to enhance retention, engagement, and support services.

With partnerships through Jisc and Chest, LearnWise is helping UK institutions explore scalable, compliant AI use cases, without increasing risk or cost.

“The goal,” Marschall added, “isn’t automation for its own sake. It’s to create a more connected, human-centered learning experience.”

Key Takeaways: What UK Higher Education Leaders Agree On

1. AI must amplify, not replace, human expertise.
   Faculty voice and oversight remain essential to student trust and academic integrity.
   
   
2. Start small, iterate fast.
   Pilot programs build confidence, data, and internal champions for wider AI adoption.
   
   
3. Prioritize inclusion.
   Universities must address the digital divide by providing equitable access to AI tools and training.
   
   
4. Governance and transparency are non-negotiable.
   Clear ethical frameworks and communication prevent fear and misuse.
   
   
5. Partnership is key.
   Collaboration between universities, vendors, and sector bodies (like Jisc) ensures AI solutions meet real institutional needs.

Join the Conversation

Missed our session? Access the recording here. Watch our walkthrough videos in Moodle, Brightspace and Canvas. Want to see LearnWise AI in action? Check out our Product Tour or book a 30-min call here.