In this episode of Hidden Layers, host Ron Green talks with Cole Camplese, the Chief Information Officer at the University of Texas at Austin, about the transformative impact of AI in higher education. With over 25 years of experience in driving digital transformation, Cole discusses how AI is reshaping universities, from personalized learning to addressing the digital divide. They explore the challenges of adopting AI, balancing innovation with governance, and managing rapid advancements in technology. Cole also shares insights on the future of academic integrity in the "golden age of cheating" and how he uses custom AI tools, like GPT, in both his personal and professional life.
Ron Green
Welcome to Hidden Layers. We're exploring the people and technology behind artificial intelligence. I'm your host, Ron Green. I'm excited to be joined today by Cole Camplese. Cole is the Chief Information Officer at the University of Texas at Austin, a leading institution renowned for its innovation in education, technology, and research.
Cole has spent over 25 years driving digital transformation and technology strategy adoption at some of the most prominent institutions in America. We're going to discuss how AI is reshaping higher education, from the promise of personalized learning tools to the challenges of investing in rapidly advancing technology like artificial intelligence.
Whether you're curious about AI's impact on education or how to integrate AI into your organization, you won’t want to miss this conversation. As CIO of the University of Texas at Austin, Cole leads the university’s technology strategy, collaborating with stakeholders to support research, teaching, and community needs.
He has decades of IT leadership experience in private and public research universities and is recognized for his innovation, team building, and driving successful digital transformations. He previously served as CIO at Northeastern University and held leadership roles at the University of Chicago, Stony Brook, and Penn State. He holds degrees from West Virginia University and Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.
Welcome, Cole. It's good to have you here.
Cole Camplese
Thanks, Ron. It's great to be here.
Ron Green
Let’s kick things off by talking about how AI is different. You've had a long and successful career, navigating the internet revolution, the mobile revolution, and now what I believe to be the most disruptive technological revolution of our lifetimes. How is AI the same, and how is it different? How are you thinking about this moving forward?
Cole Camplese
That’s a great question. At the end of the day, strategy is strategy. I know that sounds basic, but when I first walked into higher education, we were in a moment of moving from delivering educational content on CD-ROMs to a time when this free network called the internet showed up.
We all looked at each other and thought, “This might change the world.” Maybe we thought that way because we were young and the internet was connecting us in new ways. It was exciting. We sat around for a number of years watching the internet in this stagnant role, but then the real switch happened, not just with the dawn of the internet but the read-write web—when people took control over content and democratized the delivery of information.
Mobility wasn’t as disruptive. I think of disruption as a positive thing—especially disruptive technologies. The internet and the rise of mobile extended that reach, allowing us to share something with the world from a device that fits in our pockets.
AI, however, is different. It’s been around for a long time, but it’s still mysterious to many people. AI has arrived with a reputation, largely shaped by science fiction. People have false notions about what AI is, what it was, and what it’s going to be. In a way, that’s holding some people back from fully exploring its potential.
Ron Green
That’s an interesting point. Most technology waves don’t come with so much baggage. When the internet revolution happened, it was about connecting people and reducing content distribution costs, but there wasn’t much baggage associated with that. When people think about AI, they simultaneously think of talking robots and Terminators.
Cole Camplese
Exactly. Not to go too Ted Lasso on you, but one of my favorite quotes is “Be curious, not judgmental.” I’ve seen so much fear about AI—people worrying that the world is about to fall apart. It’s similar to when the iPad came out, and everyone said it would either revolutionize or destroy education. We’re in a similar moment with AI. Some people believe it will end originality and creative thought.
While that might be true in certain ways, I watch my kids use tools like ChatGPT, and I don’t think it’s breaking their desire to work hard. It’s augmenting their intelligence, and that’s how I see AI. You could easily swap "artificial" with "augmentation" when talking about AI.
AI is like having a really smart friend with you at all times. Once people get over the idea that it’s destroying their ability to think creatively or critically, they’ll realize it helps them get closer to the final moment of analysis and lets them ask better questions. One of the products of great research is the ability to ask deeper, more insightful questions. AI drives me to do just that.
Ron Green
I share your optimism, especially around the idea of AI systems being with us 24/7, acting as personal assistants that provide guidance, context, and advice. Without naming names, what’s the general view of AI within your university and across campuses nationwide? Is it mostly excitement or fear?
Cole Camplese
It’s a mix of terror and excitement. I think that’s where most people are right now. People like myself—CIOs, chief digital officers—recognize AI's power and are working hard to learn as much as we can to overcome the negative noise and focus on the optimism.
I don’t think the general population of higher education understands that you can walk around with a personal assistant like AI, not just waiting for you but nudging you. Once AI becomes more automated, like my watch changing modes based on what I’m doing, people will start to see how it can think ahead for them.
The other thing that will change perceptions is AI being embedded in everyday devices. We're going from AI being a niche for technologists to full audience adoption, and I’ve never seen that happen so quickly with any other technology.
Ron Green
I completely agree. AI is about to be embedded in the most deployed device in human history: the smartphone. I’d love to get your take on another topic. Every business is facing the challenge of balancing centralized oversight and control of AI with fostering innovation. How do you approach that balance at a large institution like the University of Texas?
Cole Camplese
That’s central to our strategy. I’m a firm believer in implementing common platforms. Think of something like Microsoft 365—it’s a platform we’ve centralized, moving away from everyone managing their own email servers.
In higher education, we’ve reached a point where the network, authentication, identity, and collaboration are all central assets, thanks in part to the pandemic. If you’re an IT leader today and aren’t thinking about platform-based strategies to drive economies of scale, you’re going to struggle.
That doesn’t mean individual departments or schools can’t innovate. For example, the McCombs School of Business has specific needs, but we provide a common platform to ensure data protection, guardrails, and scalability. A platform is a stage for innovation. AI needs to exist as part of a consistent intelligence layer across the campus.
Ron Green
Let me recap: You’re balancing centralization with innovation by providing a core platform for common needs while allowing different departments to innovate on top of that foundation. Is that correct?
Cole Camplese
Exactly. AI allows us to revolutionize operations, but it’s going to take time. It’s not magic—it’s still work. But AI lets colleges solve local problems without investing heavily in technology themselves.
We’re also mindful of affordability. At a place like UT Austin, with over 50,000 undergraduates, paying $20 a month per license for AI tools gets expensive. My vision is to ensure that everyone—from undergrads to PhD students, faculty, and staff—has access to these tools to avoid widening the digital divide.
Ron Green
That’s a great point. AI has the potential to level the playing field, but barriers to adoption could widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots. How do you address this at the university level?
Cole Camplese
I believe it’s our responsibility to keep the playing field level for all students. Education is expensive, even beyond tuition. Students have rent, food, and other costs, and we can’t afford to add to that.
AI tools, like digital textbooks, have not fully taken hold due to various barriers, including students not liking them and faculty not adopting them. But the goal is to reduce the post-tuition burden and ensure our students have the skills they need for the modern workforce.
The days of walking into a job without understanding AI are over. Even industries like tire shops will use AI for supply chain management, and employees won’t even realize it. They need to think in an AI-driven way, and it’s our job to prepare them.
Ron Green
Every organization is facing the challenge of investing in AI when it’s moving so fast. How do you manage that at a large institution like UT?
Cole Camplese
That’s the new challenge keeping me up at night. CIOs used to worry about cybersecurity, but now it’s about how to keep up with AI’s rapid pace. You have to decide whether to participate and lead or wait it out.
If you wait it out without a central strategy, you’re inviting chaos. Deans and departments won’t wait—they’ll invest on their own, leading to multiple licenses and a lack of coordination. I don’t control anyone’s budget, but I have a central allocation to drive strategy.
If we sit back, we’ll waste far more money in the long run. I can negotiate at scale and provide common platforms, allowing departments to innovate while managing costs and technical debt.
Ron Green
That makes sense. It's clear that your focus is on balancing flexibility with scalability to ensure the university isn’t left behind.
Cole Camplese
Absolutely. It’s all about providing a flexible, agile platform that can pivot quickly—whether it’s six months or a year down the line. In central IT, we manage technical debt all the time. We know how to phase out old systems and bring in new technology. That’s our business. But individual colleges don’t necessarily think that way. Their focus is on discovery, education, and fundraising, not on managing technology infrastructure.
If I sit back and say, “We’re not doing this,” then suddenly we’ll have 13 different AI licenses across campus. Companies like Apple, Dell, and Microsoft will sell directly to individual colleges, and that leads to inefficiency. My job is to make sure there’s a flexible common platform so everyone can innovate without creating unnecessary complexity or costs.
Ron Green
That’s a really insightful approach. It’s about allowing flexibility while avoiding duplication and technical debt. I imagine that resonates with many CIOs who are listening.
Cole Camplese
Exactly. Too many of us get frustrated when a dean or department head makes a decision that doesn’t align with central IT. But they’re trying to differentiate their college, attract higher-quality faculty, and bring in more students. That’s their job, and it’s not my place to challenge their decision-making unless it negatively impacts the university as a whole.
As long as they’re not making decisions that harm the broader institution, I focus on what I can control—building a flexible, scalable foundation that allows everyone to thrive.
Ron Green
That’s a great mindset. Now, I want to ask you something that’s unique to education. We’ve heard jokes about living in the “golden age of cheating,” especially with tools like AI making it easier for students to circumvent traditional assessments. What’s your take on AI and cheating in education?
Cole Camplese
If we’re in the golden age of cheating, then maybe we’re in the dark ages of assessment. Cheating is like water—it finds a way. We’ve seen it before, and we’ll see it again.
For example, when I was at Penn State, we built one of the first secure testing facilities, investing millions of dollars. Students would lock their belongings in secure bags, use a specialized browser to take their exams, and submit everything, including their scratch paper, at the end. But that’s not the solution for every scenario.
AI is forcing us to rethink assessment. We’re currently retreating to old practices, like making students use blue books to handwrite their essays. But that’s not a sustainable solution. We need to evolve our methods and embrace authentic assessment—figuring out how to ask questions that require critical thinking and can’t be answered by AI alone.
Ron Green
That’s fascinating. I hadn’t realized universities were moving back to blue books! It’s like a return to an older time.
Cole Camplese
It really is. Cheating has always existed, and technology just changes the form it takes. Whether it’s passing notes on chalkboards in the 1800s or AI-assisted answers today, it’s the same underlying problem.
Each new disruptive technology forces us to rethink how we teach and assess. Take the chalkboard—it was one of the most disruptive technologies in classrooms because it made teachers turn their backs on students. That was a big trust issue at the time. But over time, we adapted.
Right now, we’re still figuring out how to harness AI’s affordances in education. Faculty need time to research, experiment, and develop new instructional methods that take advantage of AI’s capabilities without compromising academic integrity. We’ve been through this before with other technologies, and we’ll get through it with AI as well.
Ron Green
That’s such a great perspective. We often forget that these disruptions aren’t new—they’ve happened time and time again throughout history. Let’s shift gears for a moment. I recently spoke with Katia Walsh, Chief Digital Officer at Harvard Business School, and we discussed the importance of collaboration among institutions, especially when it comes to AI strategy. What are your thoughts on collaboration versus competition in higher education?
Cole Camplese
I’m all for collaboration. I talk to my peers constantly, whether it’s through formal groups like the CIOs of Texas or informal conversations. Every single one of us is thinking about AI right now. Even those who don’t have the budget to fully invest yet are working on strategies to address it.
In a couple of weeks, EDUCAUSE, the premier higher ed IT conference, is happening in San Antonio. I guarantee you that AI will dominate the discussions. It’s on everyone’s radar. Gartner Symposium is also taking place, and 75% of their sessions will likely focus on AI as well.
The lonely days are over. People are starting to realize that AI is an enterprise-class application that can serve entire institutions, not just niche groups. If you’re not already experimenting with tools like ChatGPT, you’re falling behind.
Ron Green
I couldn’t agree more. The opportunities AI presents are far bigger than most people realize. Speaking of opportunities, how do you personally use AI, both at work and at home? Any favorite tools or tips you can share?
Cole Camplese
Right now, I’m enamored with ChatGPT. I don’t subscribe to the holy wars of Mac vs. PC or Android vs. iPhone. To me, it’s about using whatever tools make your life easier.
I’ve been using the personal GPTs—custom versions of ChatGPT. For example, I recently started at UT Austin, and with that job came a ton of data: 2,000 pages of consultant reports, financial documents, organizational charts, you name it. I’ve trained a personal GPT to help me navigate all that information. It’s essentially my digital twin, and I can ask it questions about the organization, opportunities, and strategy.
Ron Green
That’s amazing! For those who might not know, could you explain what you mean by “personal GPTs” and how they work?
Cole Camplese
Sure! With the free version of ChatGPT, you start a new session each time you interact with it. For example, you could ask it to pretend to be a chef and give you a recipe, but once that session ends, it forgets you wanted it to be a chef.
With custom GPTs, you can upload documents or provide context so it remembers who you are and what you need. You can train it to understand your job, your responsibilities, and the data you work with. Then, anytime you interact with it, it starts from that place of knowledge, saving you time and improving accuracy.
Imagine deploying custom GPTs across dashboards or for specific tasks on campus. The possibilities are endless.
Ron Green
That’s my favorite use of AI too. I have dozens of custom GPTs tailored to different tasks, and they save me so much time. It’s incredible.
Cole Camplese
Exactly. What’s funny is that while I use AI extensively for work, I don’t yet have a GPT for being a better dad or husband! But on a personal level, it’s useful for things like answering random questions.
The other day, my daughter, who’s a senior at Northeastern, asked about the historical relationship between Christians and Israel. I went to ChatGPT and found a succinct answer quickly, though she wasn’t too happy that I “ruined the fun” of her research.
I think the magic of AI is that it can solve real problems in both your personal and professional life. It makes you think critically and allows you to design custom tools that help you accomplish your goals.
Ron Green
That’s what I love about it too—it forces you to think critically and customize the tool to fit your needs. AI makes problem-solving more efficient, whether at home or work.
Cole Camplese
Exactly. And the best part is, we’re just scratching the surface. There’s so much more to explore with AI.
Ron Green
Absolutely. Cole, thank you so much for being here. This was an incredibly insightful conversation.
Cole Camplese
Thank you, Ron. Anytime.
