From the Kuali Days 2025 Conference: A CEO's View of Planning for AI

• 04/14/25

We've made it a leadership priority to help our teams build real fluency with AI — not just to dabble.

We do expect people to grow in this area, but we try to support them just as much as we hold them accountable. AI isn't just a new tool — it's becoming foundational to the way knowledge work gets done. Our job is to help people feel confident, not just compliant.

AI isn't just a new tool — it's becoming foundational to the way knowledge work gets done.

Grush: Let's talk a bit about Kuali customers and the AI in the Kuali product suite. How do you integrate AI into your product in ways that your customers appreciate?

Dehlin: From the start, we made a conscious decision not to treat AI as a bolt-on or gimmick. Instead, we've rebuilt core parts of our product suite with AI in mind — thoughtfully, and always in service of improving the user experience.

We think of it less as "adding AI" and more as rethinking how people do their work. That means embedding AI where it truly adds value — helping a user propose more clearly, approve more confidently, or gain better insight — all without disrupting their workflow. The experience should feel helpful, not flashy. Thoughtful, not forced.

We think of it less as "adding AI" and more as rethinking how people do their work.

And because every institution is in a different place on their AI journey, we designed these features to be optional and configurable. Choice is built in — not just in the features themselves, but in the philosophy behind them.

Grush: Does the Kuali suite handle the customer choice issue differently from other ed tech market products?

Dehlin: Absolutely!

First, as a key tenet of Kuali, when we roll out new features, they're available across the entire Kuali suite. So AI isn't an afterthought; it's woven deeply into the products, across the stack.

As a key tenet of Kuali, when we roll out new features, they're available across the entire Kuali suite. So AI isn't an afterthought; it's woven deeply into the products, across the stack.

Second — and more to your point — we are mindful that institutions are at different stages in their AI journeys. Some are ready to dive in; others are more cautious. So again, we've made our AI features customer-selectable. Our customers decide when and how they want to engage with AI. That level of control is rare in ed tech, and it's something we're proud of.

Institutions are at different stages in their AI journeys… We've made our AI features customer-selectable. Our customers decide when and how they want to engage with AI.

Grush: What do you say to people who are suspicious of AI?

Dehlin: I don't believe AI is here to replace people. What it's doing — rapidly — is changing the nature of work. At Kuali, we've seen firsthand how the right tools, in the hands of thoughtful people, can lead to better, faster, and more human work.

That said, change is still change — and uncertainty is normal. Some repetitive, manual tasks will disappear. But that creates space for people to focus on what they're uniquely great at: applying judgment, creativity, and context. This shift isn't about replacement — it's about amplification. When you give smart people smart tools — and time to learn them — they do their best work.

Grush: What can Kuali customers expect next?

Dehlin: We're continuing to move with purpose. The AI tools we're launching are just the beginning — and they're designed to meet our customers where they are. We'll keep listening, learning, and adapting as this technology evolves.

More than anything, we want our customers to feel they have a partner in this shift — someone who's thinking ahead, but staying grounded in what really helps people do great work.

More than anything, we want our customers to feel they have a partner in this shift — someone who's thinking ahead, but staying grounded in what really helps people do great work. That has always been our focus — and it still is.

[Editor's note: Photo courtesy Kuali. With permission.]