The AI Gap Between Colleges and Work Is Growing. Families Can Close It.

DISCOVERING AI: Learn It. Live It. Lead with It! At home, at work, and in the world.
By Amy D. Love, Founder of DISCOVERING AI 

Parents across the country are hearing mixed messages about how AI should fit into learning. Some schools are experimenting with new tools. Others are still deciding if students should use AI at all. Teens are already using AI for homework, studying, and creative projects, often without clear guidance. Families want clarity. Students want direction. Colleges want consistency. Yet the systems meant to support them are still catching up.

As we approach Thanksgiving and the start of winter break, families will have rare uninterrupted time together. These holiday weeks are more than a pause from school. They are an ideal opportunity to talk as a family about how AI is shaping learning, creativity, connection, and the skills children need to grow. These conversations do not have to be heavy or technical. They can be simple and values based. They can begin with curiosity. They can set the tone for a new year of intentional parenting in the Age of AI.

This national picture became even clearer during our DISCOVERING AI National Back to School AI Game Plan night. One of our featured guests, Kelli Kilpatrick, Founder of Kilpatrick College & Career, works with students nationwide, including Miss Texas members. She sees the future of college admissions and academic expectations every day. Her message to parents was unmistakable. AI readiness is becoming a defining part of student success, even if the educational landscape is uneven.

What Higher Education Is Telling Us

A new research study gives us one of the clearest snapshots of what colleges are facing. The report titled Landscape of AI Across California Higher Education Institutions, led by Primary Investigator and Research Manager Sharesly Rodriguez of San José State University, offers a detailed look at how higher education is adapting to AI. The team conducted a statewide survey in March 2025 and analyzed AI-related webpages across every higher education institution from January to May 2025.

Their findings reveal that while some institutions are developing AI coursework, responsible generative AI policies, and workforce preparation programs, progress is inconsistent. Many campuses lack clear standards for how students should use AI. Faculty adoption varies widely. Access to AI tools is uneven. Ethical AI instruction is rarely integrated across the curriculum. Colleges agree that responsible use matters, although implementation is slow.

The report breaks its analysis into five major domains that shape student readiness.

1. Responsible AI and Generative AI Policy Development
   

2. Equity and Access
   

3. AI Employer and Workforce Preparedness
   

4. AI Curriculum
   

5. AI Community Engagement and Partnerships
   

Although the study focuses on California, the themes reflect a national challenge. Students entering college in Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, and Georgia encounter similar inconsistencies. One university may have a clear AI policy. Another may ban AI entirely. A third may allow AI use with little guidance. Families are left to interpret a rapidly evolving landscape on their own.

This makes Kelli Kilpatrick’s example from Georgia Tech stand out. Their guidance offers a model for what responsible and student-centered AI use can look like in both admissions and academic settings.

What Georgia Tech Tells Us About the Future

Georgia Tech provides clarity that many universities have not yet reached.

For admissions essays

Students may use AI to brainstorm ideas, refine thinking, and strengthen clarity. They cannot copy and paste AI-generated content. Their voice, their story, and their insights must drive the essay. Authenticity remains essential.

For academic work

Students can treat AI as a collaborator. They must produce original work. They must cite AI-generated content appropriately. They must follow course-specific rules. Georgia Tech encourages responsible, ethical, and creative use, without replacing personal thought and effort.

Many universities want to adopt this approach. Some are already doing so. Many have not yet begun. This variation mirrors the findings in the California HEI report and reflects what employers see in new graduates.

What Employers Are Telling Us About the Gap

The story extends beyond education. Employers are raising concerns about the readiness of new graduates. These concerns stretch across every industry. Technology, healthcare, finance, hospitality, manufacturing, and public service all report rising expectations for new hires in an AI-driven workplace.

Recent employer surveys show a consistent pattern. AI fluency is becoming an expectation. Critical thinking is valued more. Emotional intelligence, ethical reasoning, communication, and adaptability are now viewed as essential in an environment where AI is woven through day-to-day work.

Many employers report that new graduates are not prepared for these demands.

Employer concerns

More than half of surveyed executives report that AI is eliminating or shrinking entry-level roles. Students face intense competition for fewer positions. Employers now expect hands-on experience, internships, and a strong understanding of how to use AI responsibly in professional settings.

Only 51% of college graduates feel confident in their AI skills when entering the job market. Many grew up surrounded by technology, although they did not receive structured guidance or ethical frameworks for responsible use.

Skills employers value most

Technical proficiency is no longer a differentiator. Employers want human-centered strengths. Emotional intelligence. Critical thinking. Creativity. Collaboration. Ethical decision making. Initiative. These are the traits that influence how students use AI, lead teams, solve problems, and create new opportunities.

The impact on new graduates

As AI transforms business operations, the bar is rising for entry-level hires. Many employers prefer students who have experience with AI tools and responsible use. Unemployment for recent graduates has increased in fields most exposed to automation. Employers call for stronger partnerships with universities and more support for lifelong learning.

Families who understand this shift can prepare their children long before they apply for college or enter the workforce.

What This Means as We Approach the Holiday Season

Thanksgiving and winter break offer a meaningful window to set the tone for the year ahead. Schedules slow down. Families gather. Conversations stretch longer. Children reflect on what they learned during the fall. Teens think about where they are headed next. College students come home with stories about professors, courses, and the tools their peers are using.

This is a perfect moment to begin or revisit your FAMILY AI GAME PLAN. The goal is not to master every tool. The goal is to build a shared understanding about how your family will approach AI with clarity and confidence. Values come first. Curiosity comes next. Responsible use follows. These conversations shape habits long before children step into a college classroom or apply for their first job.

The FAMILY AI GAME PLAN as a Path Forward

The FAMILY AI GAME PLAN is designed to grow with your child from early years through high school and into college. It helps families:

• Have conversations anchored in values.
• Set expectations for responsible use.
• Build trust between parents and students.
• Support learning and creativity.
• Strengthen the six essential traits for the future.

1. Adaptability

2. Critical thinking

3. Creativity

4. Emotional intelligence

5. Technological fluency

6. Initiative.

Families who begin early see a clear difference. Children learn how to use AI as a tool instead of a shortcut. Teens learn how to evaluate AI output with more nuance. College applicants learn how to bring their own voice forward with clarity. Graduates develop the human skills employers want and the confidence to collaborate with AI responsibly.

A Call to Action for Every Family

The Age of AI is reshaping education and work faster than institutions can respond. Some universities are leading. Others are beginning. Many are still sorting through the basics. Employers are raising expectations and reducing entry-level opportunities. This makes family involvement more important than ever.

As Thanksgiving and winter break arrive, consider using this time to start or revisit your FAMILY AI GAME PLAN. The conversations you have during these weeks can strengthen your child’s confidence, improve their relationship with technology, and give them a foundation that supports their growth for years to come.

Your child will grow up in a world where AI becomes part of how they learn, think, work, and lead. With intentional parenting, they can enter that world prepared, resilient, and ready to create opportunities for themselves.

Explore more ways to raise creators, not just consumers, at DiscoveringAI.org
#CreateMoreConsumeLess #DiscoveringAI #ParentingInTheAgeOfAI

📘 If you are ready to start your own family’s conversation, explore my book DISCOVERING AI: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Future-Ready Kids

 and download your free FAMILY AI GAME PLAN™ at DiscoveringAI.org.

When families lead with clarity, technology follows with purpose.
 

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐈: 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐈𝐭. 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐭. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐭. At home, at work, and in the world.

Want to learn more? Follow 💠 Amy Love 💠 and subscribe to the DISCOVERING AI newsletter.