The free resource published by Elon University and AAC&U has been adopted as an important learning resource at 4,000 colleges, universities, schools and organizations.
As artificial intelligence transforms higher education, more than 21,000 educators and students worldwide are turning to a new resource to navigate this digital revolution.
The Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence, published by Elon University in partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities, has been adopted at approximately 4,000 colleges, universities, schools and organizations globally, with more than 60,000 visitors to the guide’s website.
The widespread adoption of this free resource demonstrates the urgent need for AI literacy in today’s academic environment. By mid-August, 97 colleges and universities had requested custom editions for distribution on their campuses, ranging from community colleges and small private institutions to flagship state universities. Many other institutions link to the guide as part of their learning resources for students.
Developed by scholars of Elon’s Imagining the Digital Future Center, the guide was created in collaboration with distinguished educators in 14 countries who have extensive skills and experience working with AI. Students from Elon and other universities also contributed to the guide’s development, ensuring the content addresses student needs.
Elon President Connie Book said the guide is based a set of principles about higher education’s essential role in preparing humanity for the artificial intelligence revolution, which were released at the 2023 United Nations Internet Governance Forum. Elon collaborated with scholars around the world to develop the principles, which included a call for colleges and universities to foster AI literacy.
“The Student Guide to AI is the kind of effort we envisioned in creating those principles,” Book said. “It is a practical, student-centered resource and its wide adoption is proof of the great demand for this approach as AI continues to evolve rapidly.”
The guide provides important information on developing AI skills, academic integrity, AI ethics, and preparing for a career in the AI age. The first edition was published in August 2024, with the 2025 edition released in May to help educators prepare for use of AI in fall semester.
“Elon’s efforts to promote AI literacy are being embraced by professors, academic staff and senior administrative leaders around the world,” said Dan Anderson, special assistant to the president and lead author of the guide. “We’ve heard from individual faculty members who are sharing the guide with their students, as well as curriculum developers, librarians and campus technology leaders who are adapting the guide’s materials as part of their institutions’ efforts to guide students in using AI. Interest in this resource focused on AI literacy continues to grow.”
Global Reach and Implementation
The guide’s international impact continues to expand. With translation assistance from five faculty members at Complutense University and Charles III University in Madrid, Spain, a Spanish language edition was published in June. The American University in Cairo, Egypt, has developed a multimedia curriculum based on the guide’s framework.
In August, hundreds of preceptors and program directors from the U.S. Veterans Administration Pharmacy Residency Program participated in training sessions on implementing the guide with their students, demonstrating its applicability across diverse educational contexts.
On Elon’s campus, Mustafa Akben, director of artificial intelligence integration, uses the guide in workshops and meetings with both students and faculty. He notes that the resource exemplifies Elon’s core AI principles, “including keeping humans as the first priority, recognizing that learning about technology is a lifelong process, and ensuring that AI use and development is done ethically and responsibly.”
Information about Elon’s custom version of the guide was included in the summer newsletter sent to families of incoming first-year students in July, integrating AI literacy into the new student experience from day one.
In addition to Elon’s partnership with AAC&U, the 2025 Student Guide to AI is endorsed by:
- The American Library Association
- NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
- EDUCAUSE
- Online Learning Consortium
- AMICAL Consortium – American international liberal arts institutions