Colleges and universities face steep obstacles when buying artificial intelligence tools, according to a recent EDUCAUSE QuickPoll. The core problem centers on AI governance complexity and the speed at which AI technology evolves, making purchasing decisions difficult for institutional procurement teams.
The survey reveals that procurement professionals struggle to evaluate AI vendors and solutions without clear institutional frameworks to guide their choices. Many institutions lack mature AI governance policies, leaving buyers uncertain about which tools align with their values and risk tolerance. Vendor selection becomes further complicated when companies offer limited transparency about how their AI systems work, what data they collect, or how they handle bias and privacy concerns.
EDUCAUSE, the nonprofit that serves higher education technology leaders, identifies a path forward. Procurement teams can improve their success rate by first establishing a clear institutional AI strategy. This upstream planning allows buyers to measure vendor proposals against specific institutional priorities rather than making decisions based solely on features or cost.
The second critical factor involves selecting solution providers that demonstrate genuine transparency. Vendors willing to explain their AI models, provide documentation about training data, outline safety measures, and commit to regular audits present lower risk than those offering black-box solutions.
Procurement professionals should also recognize that AI purchasing differs from traditional software buys. AI tools require ongoing monitoring and adjustment as models perform in real-world settings. Institutions benefit from vendors offering implementation support, staff training, and performance metrics to track outcomes after deployment.
The timing of this guidance matters. Many colleges already purchase AI tools for admissions chatbots, plagiarism detection, grading assistance, and research applications. Without clear procurement standards, institutions risk buying solutions that create unintended consequences or conflicts with their missions. Aligning purchases to strategy and demanding transparency helps colleges make smarter investments while protecting students and faculty from poorly vetted technology.