Our group had the pleasure of hosting the UK Academy for Information Systems (UKAIS) 2025 Conference and Doctoral Consortium. Over the course of three engaging days, we welcomed around 100 delegates, including academics, doctoral students, and practitioners, to explore the critical and timely theme of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education and beyond.

The conference provided a platform for rich discussion on the evolving relationship between AI technologies and the academic community. As AI continues to move beyond its traditional roles into areas requiring human-like reasoning and judgement, the implications for the higher education sector have become increasingly significant. Advances in machine learning, data analytics, and deep learning have not only enabled new research methods but also challenged established approaches to teaching, learning, and academic practice. Participants explored the double-edged nature of AI’s growing influence. Throughout the sessions, there were thought-provoking conversations about how AI tools are being used to augment teaching and support innovative assessment practices. Discussions also highlighted the ways AI is reshaping academic research and supervision, raising important questions about preserving rigour and integrity while embracing new tools that promise to boost productivity.

Another key theme centred on the growing external expectations placed upon universities to deliver research that translates into societal and commercial impact. Here too, AI is both an enabler and a disruptor, bringing with it ethical, economic, social, and organisational challenges that the academic community must engage with critically. We were particularly pleased to see papers that questioned the assumption that higher education is fully prepared for the speed and scale of these transformations. Contributions spanned topics from AI’s role in IS education, to the governance of AI in institutional contexts, and the practicalities of integrating AI into research workflows.

Across the three days, the conference provided a space for challenging debates, the sharing of emerging research, and the strengthening of scholarly networks. We look forward to next year's conference!