#222: ASU, UCSB & Tanium on Why AI Efficiency Isn't Enough in Higher Ed

In this EDUCAUSE episode, Kyle Bowen from Arizona State University, Joe Sabado from UC Santa Barbara, and Doug Thompson from Tanium make the case that efficiency was never supposed to be the finish line — and break down what responsible AI adoption actually looks like when it connects to the mission.

Featuring

Kyle Bowen is the Deputy Chief Information Officer at Arizona State University leading AI strategy across one of America’s largest and most digitally active universities — overseeing the Create AI platform, an AI Innovation Challenge that has funded 700 projects, and ASU’s first Agentic AI and Student Experience conference drawing 600 attendees from around the world.

Joe Sabado is the Deputy CIO at UC Santa Barbara leading a team of 65 across student and financial information systems, data governance, and an AI community of practice he co-founded — and outside of UCSB he runs Campus AI Exchange and has built an eight-pillar responsible AI framework that higher ed institutions are already using as a practical guide.

Doug Thompson is the Chief Education Architect at Tanium bringing 15+ years of higher ed experience to help institutions get real-time visibility into the endpoint complexity that underpins both cybersecurity and AI readiness — with a front-row view of how higher ed IT is slowly but genuinely shifting toward enterprise-scale thinking.

Timestamps

(2:00) AI efficiency isn't the end goal — Joe Sabado on evidence-based adoption

(5:00) Campus AI Framework — UCSB's eight-pillar responsible AI adoption model

(7:00) ASU's Agentic AI & Student Experience Conference — 600 attendees, global reach

(10:00) Endpoint explosion in higher ed — how Tanium gives CISOs real-time visibility

(17:00) ASU's Create AI platform — 50+ LLMs, built for secure enterprise AI

(23:00) UT Arlington transformation — Tanium case study on visibility and scale

(26:00) Beyond efficiency — Joe Sabado on AI and human flourishing

(30:00) AI Innovation Challenge — how ASU funded 700 projects in 18 months

(38:00) What higher ed leaders are getting wrong about their first AI move

(42:00) Innovation IS keeping the lights on — Kyle Bowen challenges the premise

Listen now: YouTube x Apple x Spotify

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter

Thanks for reading TechTables! Get early access to new episodes, insights, upcoming events, and more — straight to your inbox.

Join now: https://www.techtables.com/ 

2. 🤝 Join the TechTables CIO Communities for Local Government

A private, vendor-free network where public sector CIOs share what’s actually working

Members get:

2x National Retreats (facilitated by Info-Tech Research Group & Gartner)

4x CIO Virtual Roundtables 

Monthly “Behind the Mic” intelligence briefing doc

Apply to Join → https://techtables.com/communities-local-government

3. 🤝 The Better Together Virtual Series

The narrative-driven series bringing together industry partners and public sector CXOs. Discover the compelling stories that unfold when we stop working in silos and start building together.

»»» Email joe@techtables.com to learn more.

Platinum Newsletter Sponsor:

Missed out on Info-Tech LIVE in New Orleans? No worries, you can join TechTables & Info-Tech Research Group at Info-Tech LIVE 2026 - Las Vegas (June 9 - 11, 2026)!

Gold Newsletter Sponsor:

SentinelOne - Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon Frontline -The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft - The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit techtables.substack.com