TechTank Podcast Summary

Episode: Universities tackled digital inclusion—now they are accelerating AI use
Date: January 19, 2026
Host: Dr. Nicol Turner Lee (Brookings Institution)
Guest: Lev Gonick (Chief Information Officer, Arizona State University)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the evolution of digital inclusion in higher education and examines how universities, exemplified by Arizona State University (ASU), are advancing into the AI era. Host Dr. Nicol Turner Lee and guest Lev Gonick discuss the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into university life for students, faculty, and administrators, drawing lessons from decades of digital equity work.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Digital Inclusion: From Early Days to the AI Era

• Historical Perspective:

  • Both Nicol and Lev have roots in digital equity work preceding the broadband era—initially focused on fundamental computer access and later on Internet connectivity for underserved communities.
    • Lev recalls, “My first instinct was to build a community resource so that community members in Waterloo who had never used a personal computer would have access to it.” (04:34)
  • The historical “digital divide” lens now informs how universities approach the challenge of AI access and literacy.

• Pandemic Acceleration:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic made technology access “table stakes” for education.
  • ASU responded by providing devices and connectivity to rural, tribal, and international students.
    • “The principle of access to education is inextricably linked to access to technology.” (09:13)
  • These experiences set the groundwork for ASU’s current AI initiatives.

2. AI Integration at ASU: Strategy and Structure

• Three-Pronged Approach:

  • Communities of Practice:

    • Early, broad, multidisciplinary faculty conversations generated buy-in and identified needs for professional development and ethical guidance.
    • Faculty-formed ethics committees guide responsible AI use.
      • “There’s been from the beginning a very significant commitment to making sure that there’s an ethical framework for the ethical use of these tools at ASU.” (13:57)

  • Catalyzing Innovation:

    • Internal grant programs invited faculty, then staff, then students, to propose impactful uses for AI in teaching, research, and service.
    • Resulted in 600+ simultaneous projects, ranging from STEM education transformations to persona-based healthcare training.
      • “We thought we would catalyze a couple dozen projects… At this point, we have currently 600 projects in flight.” (15:42)
    • Development of “ASU Create AI,” a platform supporting secure, low/no-code experimentation for tens of thousands of users.
      • 4,000+ AI experiences now in the university’s library of solutions.

  • Futures Environment/Sandboxes:

    • Creation of “sandboxes” for ongoing AI experimentation as the technology evolves.
    • Model selection includes environmental and privacy considerations.

3. Policies, Ethics, and Action

• Practical Policy Approach:

  • ASU relies on existing academic integrity and professional conduct policies, using them as a “North Star” for AI adoption.
    • “We have a significant bias to action here at ASU… guided by things like the faculty ethics committee.” (19:26)
  • Avoids getting bogged down in theoretical debates; instead, prioritizes experimentation and practical guardrails.

• Cybersecurity and Privacy:

  • Strong focus on “privacy by design and security by design.”
    • “The entire ASU Create AI platform is developed to support and to deter the injection of poisonous tools…” (23:06)
  • Real-time testing and an “ethics and bias engine” allow users to check for bias and security threats.
  • Cybersecurity professionals are partners, not gatekeepers:
    • “Rather, they become the enablers of how to make the environment safer.” (25:49)
    • 100% security isn’t possible, but layers of mitigation are key.

4. Student Engagement, AI Activism, and Environmental Concerns

• Responsive to Student Voice:

  • Regular meetings with student leaders address AI skepticism, environmental impacts of data centers, and expectations for responsible tech use.

    • “We invite… student leadership here at ASU… there is continuing AI interest as well as activism.” (28:37)

  • Platform lets users choose models by “environmental sustainability” (green leaves icon); students can select energy-efficient, smaller models if they care about environmental footprints.

    • “You can actually select… the models that have proven to be the most environmentally sustainable.” (30:52)

• Edge Technology & Access Innovation:

  • Developed “EDGE AI”—offline, portable AI solutions for disconnected environments (e.g., refugee camps, tribal lands).
    • Solar-powered, Raspberry Pi-based solutions deliver generative AI models offline.
      • “Solar Spell” project brings AI to locations lacking both power and Internet. (32:53)

5. The Evolving Landscape: AI, Internet, and Workforce Readiness

• AI and Connectivity:

  • Current AI demand strains university (and society-wide) network/computing infrastructure.

    • Lev projects the ecosystem will evolve from centralized, high-power “big iron” to decentralized, edge, and even offline AI.
    • “There will be all kinds of core capabilities built into appliances in our homes.” (37:34)

  • Real-world examples include autonomous Waymo vehicles in Phoenix running much of AI “onboard” without persistent connectivity.

• AI Fluency as the New Literate Divide:

  • The next digital divide isn’t only about access to devices/Internet but about knowledge and workforce readiness.
    • “The divide between those who get on the AI economy and those who are left behind… I fear, is going to be greater than anything we’ve ever seen in the digital divide debate.” (42:25)
  • Emphasizes the need for deliberate, participatory models to ensure all students—across disciplines—can meaningfully engage with AI.
    • “This takes on a much more urgent call for community engagement and… building allies across the full diversity of the community around us.” (41:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the new digital divide:

  “The greatest digital inclusion, digital equity challenge of the last 50 years is actually the one that we’re leaning into right now, which will be around AI.”
  — Lev Gonick (06:21)

• On ASU’s approach to AI:

  “We have a significant bias to action here at ASU… guided by things like the faculty ethics committee.”
  — Lev Gonick (19:26)

• On workforce urgency:

  “The disruption… is already beginning to unfold and will continue to significantly inform the challenges and the opportunities going forward… The divide between those who get on the AI economy and those who are left behind… I fear, is going to be greater than anything we’ve ever seen in the digital divide debate.”
  — Lev Gonick (41:10 & 42:25)

Important Timestamps

• AI Literacy in Higher Education / Setting the Stage — [00:53–03:57]
• History of Digital Inclusion and Early Projects — [03:57–07:24]
• ASU’s Pandemic Response & Faculty AI Adoption — [07:58–12:32]
• ASU’s Model: Communities of Practice, Innovation Catalyst, Sandboxes — [13:08–18:48]
• Policy, Ethics, & Action Over Theory — [18:48–21:50]
• Cybersecurity, Privacy, & Bias Engine — [22:47–27:19]
• Student Engagement & Environmental Impacts — [28:37–33:54]
• Offline/Edge AI; Access Innovations (“Solar Spell”) — [33:54–35:13]
• AI, Connectivity, and the Coming Edge Revolution — [35:13–39:47]
• Workforce Engagement & The Knowledge Divide — [41:00–44:08]
• Wrap-up & Where to Learn More (ASU’s AI Initiatives) — [45:11–45:36]

Additional Resources

• Learn more about ASU’s AI initiatives: ai.asu.edu

  “It’s also a window into hundreds of stories of the ways in which our students, faculty and staff are engaged with AI across the full breadth of the institution.” (45:18)

Tone & Takeaways:
The episode is collaborative, forward-looking, and pragmatic. Both host and guest emphasize agency, participatory policymaking, and inclusion—urging institutions to move confidently into the AI era, while centering ethical concerns, security, and broad community benefit.