EDUCAUSE surveyed higher education procurement professionals about buying artificial intelligence tools and systems. The organization found that AI procurement presents distinct challenges rooted in governance complexity and the speed at which AI technology evolves.
The QuickPoll results highlight a fundamental tension for colleges and universities. Institutions need AI systems to support operations, teaching, and research. Yet the technology landscape shifts rapidly, making it difficult for procurement teams to establish clear standards, compare vendors fairly, or predict long-term costs and capabilities.
Procurement success, according to EDUCAUSE findings, depends on two core practices. First, institutions must align their AI purchasing decisions with a documented institutional AI strategy. This means defining what the college or university actually needs AI to accomplish, what risks it accepts, and which departments will own implementation. Without this framework, procurement officers make scattered purchasing decisions that conflict with each other.
Second, procurement teams should prioritize solution providers willing to operate with transparency. This includes vendors who disclose how their systems work, explain training data sources, outline security measures, and acknowledge limitations. Transparency allows institutions to assess whether an AI tool fits their values and compliance requirements.
The EDUCAUSE data reflects a broader challenge across higher education. Many colleges lack formal AI governance policies. Faculty and administrators often request AI tools without institutional review. Vendors sometimes overpromise capabilities or downplay risks. This combination leaves procurement professionals caught between competitive pressure to adopt new technology and institutional responsibility to spend money wisely.
Higher education leaders increasingly recognize that ad hoc AI adoption creates problems. Duplicated purchases, incompatible systems, unmanaged risks, and wasted spending often result. Institutions that establish clear AI strategies first, then align procurement with those strategies, report smoother implementations and stronger institutional buy-in.
EDUCAUSE recommends that higher education institutions develop written AI governance policies before significant AI procurement begins. These policies should define decision-making authority, outline ethical expectations