AI is rapidly changing how we work, learn and do research. This also presents a challenge for universities. The UZH think tank FutureU has developed future scenarios for universities in the digital age.
Artificial intelligence is transforming the higher education landscape at such a pace that there is scarcely any time to pause and reflect. This is precisely what the University of Zurich’s FutureU think tank has done: as part of a structured foresight process, researchers have developed scenarios that illustrate what universities must achieve in the digital age and how they should position themselves strategically.
At the heart of this is the idea of the university as a trustworthy institution, a reliable anchor of trust for society in times of disinformation and technological change. At the same time, the position paper describes how teaching and research will undergo fundamental changes: from personalised AI companions for students to new skills profiles for teaching staff.
FutureU: Universities in the Digital Age
The FutureU: Universities in the Digital Age think tank is one of the ways that UZH is responding to the challenges of digital transformation. It initiates and supports an active, critical and forward-looking examination of the many different developments, opportunities and questions that the digital future presents among those affiliated with UZH. A core team develops different future scenarios from which strategic options for taking action can be derived.
UZH.ai
Researchers at UZH are developing artificial intelligence, using it specifically in their research and exploring its impact on the economy and society. Since September 2025, UZH.ai has been linking together AI researchers at the University of Zurich even more closely and promoting dialogue with industry, politicians and society on the topic of AI.