Editorial: AI in Higher Education: Implications for scholarly publishing, TAPPI Journal September 2026

Even as we grapple with the positive and negative implications of artificial intelligence (AI), it has become increasingly embedded in our personal lives and work, including higher education. A recent snapshot of AI’s impact in this area is the Digital Education Council’s (DEC’s) AI in Higher Education Global Survey 2026. Founded in early 2024 to study how AI and digital transformation impact higher education, learning, and workforce skills, DEC is made up of member institutions throughout the world in academia and vocational learning. It currently has more than 200 members in over 42 countries.

DEC’s 2026 survey collected over 45,000 responses from more than 27,000 students and 18,000 faculty members at 118 institutions across 35 countries and four regions: Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America (LATAM), and North America (United States and Canada). DEC describes the study as a comprehensive examination of AI adoption, literacy, teaching and assess ment practices, institutional policies, and concerns related to learning, academic integrity, and equity [1].