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Sidharth Oberoi Vice President of Global Strategy, Instructure

As 2026 begins, artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday life in higher education. In South Africa, as in many parts of the world, universities are still working out how best to respond. New technologies are being introduced to support digital transformation, while institutions try to protect academic integrity and support responsible use of AI.

But 2026 is an opportunity to move beyond short-term responses and take a more intentional approach. This means rethinking how teaching and learning are designed, how assessments work in an AI-enabled world, how data is managed responsibly, and how technology systems can better work together, so AI supports learning rather than add complexity. This matters deeply in the South African context. Longstanding inequalities in access, uneven digital infrastructure, financial pressures, and rapid changes in the job market all shape what is possible for institutions and learners. As AI continues to evolve, students are adapting quickly and graduates’ expectations are changing. Universities now have a critical opportunity to shape how AI strengthens learning, equity, and graduate readiness, rather than letting change happen around them.

A recent Turnitin study found that 95% of surveyed academic administrators, educators and students believe AI is being misused in education. At the same time, there is optimism about its potential, alongside a growing sense of overload as new tools continue to emerge.

In this context, staying in a constant “policing mode” is neither sustainable nor supportive of good learning. The response cannot be purely technological; it must be pedagogical too. This means designing assessments in ways that make learning visible: focusing on process as well as outcomes, encouraging reflection, requiring contextual application and asking students to explain their thinking.

Students should be encouraged to be transparent about how AI has been used in their work, while still being expected to demonstrate their own reasoning and judgement. For many institutions, this points to a gradual shift away from one-off, high-stakes assessments towards more iterative, applied and reflective forms of evaluation that better reflect how learning and professional practice happen in the real world.

Digital transformation is not about adding more tools, but about building digital maturity: redesigning teaching models, connecting data more effectively and aligning institutional processes so AI can meaningfully support learning and administration. More adaptive forms of AI are already beginning to influence higher education around the world. In South Africa, many institutions are working within technology environments shaped by earlier generations of learning systems and disconnected architectures. Without strong, AI-ready foundations such as open standards, secure integrations, and clear access to institution- owned data, AI risks being layered on top of existing systems, rather than helping institutions move forward in more meaningful ways.

Microcredentials hold real potential, particularly for working adults looking to upskill or reskill. Their value, however, depends on trust, relevance and recognition. For microcredentials to have lasting impact, they need to align with national qualification frameworks, support credit transfer and be recognised by employers. Without this shared structure, they risk becoming isolated offerings rather than meaningful pathways.

Looking ahead, universities that take a more intentional approach by redesigning assessments, redefining academic integrity, building open and connected technology ecosystems and supporting flexible learning pathways will be far better positioned to remain relevant in an AI-influenced South African economy.

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