As artificial intelligence reshapes international business, universities are beginning to move beyond the debate over whether students should use it. The focus is increasingly on teaching them how to do so.

Not long ago, students were concerned about getting caught using AI rather than learning to work with it. That concern has given away to another: falling behind in a workplace where tools are becoming common. In 2024, the Digital Education Council surveyed almost 4,000 students across 16 countries. Its findings revealed that 86% were already using AI, yet 58% felt they lacked the skills to use it effectively. The message was clear: students were experimenting with technology, but wanted their universities to help them make better use. Around 72% expected their institutions to prepare them to use AI in a workplace.

By 2026, that expectation began to translate into changes on campus. In the UK, the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) found that 38% of students said their institution provided AI tools, compared with just 9% in 2024. The shift is not only to students. The Digital Education Council’s 2026 global survey, covering 35 countries, found that 77% of faculty members used AI in their teaching, an increase of 16 percentage points in a year. Universities are still adapting, but technology is no longer something students are expected to explore on their own.

Universities Open the Door

For some institutions, preparing students for an AI driven workplace means making technology part of their education. IE University in Madrid, whose student community represents more than 160 countries, has made ChatGPT Edu available to students and introduced AI courses across bachelor’s and master’s programmes. In Barcelona, Esade offers a bachelor’s degree in Business and Artificial Intelligence, while the University of Texas at Arlington is replacing its Business Analytics degree with a programme focused on AI for business, beginning this autumn.

These initiatives suggest that universities are starting to treat AI knowledge as a professional skill, not simply an optional extra. However, the change remains uneven.

A global survey conducted by IREX and the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) between November 2025 and January 2026 found that only 34% of students said their institution had a clear AI strategy. The gap was already evident two years earlier: in 2024, 80% of students surveyed by the Digital Education Council said their university’s integration of AI did not fully meet their expectations.

For students preparing to enter the labour market, this is more than an academic concern. They are being introduced to tools that are changing how companies operate, but not every institution provides the same opportunities to learn how to use them. The result is a growing division between what the workplace expects and what universities are equipped to teach.

Employers, meanwhile, are rewarding the skills. PwC’s Global AI Jobs Barometer has tracked a growing wage premium for workers with AI skills, from 25% in 2024 to 56% in 2025 and 62% in 2026. The report also indicates that the skills required in jobs exposed to AI are changing almost eight times faster than those in other jobs. For graduates, the message is difficult to ignore: understanding AI may influence not only the work they do, but also the opportunities available to them.

Gen Z Meets Global Trade

For Gen Z, AI is already becoming part of everyday working life, even before many have secured their first full-time job. Deloitte’s 2026 survey of 14,384 Gen Z respondents across 44 countries found that 74% already used AI to some extent in their daily work. Their familiarity with the technology could prove valuable in international business, as companies are looking for ways to work more efficiently across borders.

This extends beyond individual careers. The World Trade Organization projects that, with the right policies, AI could increase global trade by 34% to 37% by 2040. Nearly 90% of firms already use AI and also report benefits in trade-related activities. The technology is opening up new possibilities for businesses across borders.

The access to technology alone will not deliver results. The WTO’s findings point to the importance of skills and access, two areas in which universities can play a significant role. An algorithm cannot transform an international business simply by being available. Someone still needs to understand how to apply it, recognise its limitations and adapt its output to the realities of a market. That is where education and global trade becomes important: the benefits of AI depend on the people who put it to work.

Where AI Falls behind

Learning to use AI effectively is only one. The other is knowing when not to rely on it. As companies introduce these tools, workers will need the ability to automate routine tasks. They will also need judgement, creativity and the social skills needed to build relationships.

PwC’s 2026 barometer leads to the importance of judgement and leadership as AI changes workplaces. The World Economic Forum identifies skills gaps as the barrier to business transformation. Together, these findings show a challenge that extends beyond classrooms: technological change creates new opportunities, but it also raises expectations of what workers need.

In international business, distinction matters. A tool may help analyse a market, translate documents or identify opportunities, but it cannot account for cultural nuance or build trust between people. Abilities develop through experience and exposure to different perspectives. Universities can introduce students to challenges, but putting knowledge into practice requires more than learning which prompts.

The question is not whether universities have caught up with AI. The evidence suggests that is being made, although gaps remain. What matters now is whether institutions can turn existing familiarity with technology into understanding how to use it responsibly and effectively.

For Gen Z, knowing how to use AI is becoming less of a distinction in itself. The real advantage lies in recognizing its limitations and applying its capabilities to problems that matter. For employers, the challenge is practical: recognising what younger workers bring to the table and creating what comes from experience.

The newest climbers are still making their way up. They just arrive with different tools.

Author: 3edrock.com

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