Higher education is currently navigating one of the most significant transitions in its modern history. Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how knowledge is accessed, produced, assessed, and communicated. Universities are under increasing pressure to respond quickly, integrate new technologies, and prepare students for an uncertain future. In many universities, AI is being discussed primarily as a technological or academic integrity issue, but on the ground, the real

Is AI creating a new kind of addiction? AI risks repeating social media’s mistakes by creating artificial connection instead of authentic relationships. This article explores how design choices shape addiction, why empathy and presence matter in education and leadership, and how universities and organisations can foster digital resilience, critical reflection, and human-centred learning in an AI-driven future.

AI shows us what we’ve neglected: closeness, listening, and humanity itself. Let’s stop making AI the scapegoat for what is missing in us. We are not losing ourselves to artificial intelligence, but we are losing ourselves to artificial connection and most people don’t even notice it happening. We scroll, we click, we respond, we 'connect', yet we feel increasingly alone, unseen, and disconnected. This is not a technological crisis. This is a human crisis of connection and le