Levelling up in the age of AI: why access is no longer enough

A blog by Professor Dirk Schaefer, leader of the University of Leicester’s AI strategy

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how we learn, work and participate in society. For universities – and for policymakers – the question is no longer whether we adopt AI, but whether we ensure it works for everyone.

For years, widening participation has focused on access: opening the doors of higher education to those who might otherwise be excluded. That remains essential. But in the age of AI, it is no longer sufficient.

A new divide is emerging. Not between those who can access education, but between those who can use AI effectively and those who cannot.

Access to AI without the skills to use it is the new inequality.

Taking this on board, the University of Leicester has become one of the first UK universities to provide Microsoft 365 Copilot access and training to all students and staff.

All students and staff will receive full Microsoft 365 Copilot access and training as Leicester follows the University of Manchester in offering universal provision across its entire community.    

The move will equip students with future-ready skills, strengthen teaching and research, and help address the emerging digital divide through equitable access to the advanced AI tools within Microsoft 365 Copilot.

This is about levelling up our students, especially for those who come from widening participation backgrounds, ensuring they are digitally and AI literate and gives them access to skills.

The Copilot rollout coincides with Leicester’s commitment to give all campus-based, undergraduate students a guaranteed minimum 100 hours of employer-informed Work-Related Learning as part of their studies.

Together, this will help to put graduates ahead of their peers when it comes to being work-ready.

But, as mentioned, what is crucial, is not just our students having access to AI, but having the skills to harness it for their benefit…

The new digital divide

AI tools are becoming embedded across the professions our graduates will enter. But simply making them available does not level the playing field.

The real divide lies between those who can:

•            question and interpret AI outputs

•            apply them in context

•            use them responsibly and critically.

…and those who cannot.

Without deliberate intervention, AI risks amplifying existing inequalities. Students with confidence, prior exposure, and strong support networks will accelerate ahead. Others risk falling behind – not through lack of ability, but through lack of opportunity to develop these capabilities.

This is the next phase of the widening participation challenge, and it demands a systemic response.

From access to capability

At the University of Leicester, we believe widening participation must evolve accordingly. It is no longer enough to ensure students enter higher education – we must ensure they leave equipped to succeed in an AI-enabled world.

That requires moving from a model of access to a model of capability.

We are developing a coordinated, values-led institutional approach to AI, integrating education, research, and professional services around a shared purpose. This is not about isolated initiatives or optional adoption. It is about embedding AI into the core of how the university operates.

Central to this is a redefinition of the graduate value proposition.

In a world where AI can generate answers, the value of a degree is no longer defined by information recall. Instead, it lies in developing capabilities that remain distinctly human:

•            judgement

•            critical thinking

•            ethical responsibility

•            the ability to ask the right questions and apply knowledge in context.

If AI can generate answers, the role of the university is to develop judgement.

Why universal access still matters

As part of this strategy, Leicester is rolling out Microsoft Copilot across the institution, providing all students and staff with secure, enterprise-level access to AI.

This is a critical foundation.

Without universal access, AI capability risks becoming uneven – available to some students, but not others. Institutional provision ensures that every student has the opportunity to engage with these technologies as part of their education.

But access alone is not the solution.

The real work lies in how AI is embedded into curricula, how assessment evolves, and how students develop the confidence and capability to use AI effectively and responsibly.

Technology does not level the playing field – capability does.

Levelling up through AI capability

This has direct implications for employability, productivity, and social mobility – areas of increasing focus for government and regulators such as the Office for Students.

In an AI-driven economy, digital capability is no longer a differentiator – it is a condition of participation. Graduates who lack confidence in using AI will be at a structural disadvantage. Those who can use it effectively will be better equipped to adapt, innovate and lead.

Widening participation must therefore include widening AI capability.

At Leicester, this means ensuring that every student, regardless of background, has the opportunity to:

•            develop confidence using AI tools

•            understand their limitations and risks

•            apply them meaningfully within their discipline

The real divide is not between those who have AI and those who don’t – but between those who can use it well and those who cannot.

Moving beyond pilots

Across the sector, many institutions are still operating at the level of pilots – testing tools, issuing guidance, and exploring use cases. These are important steps, but they are not sufficient.

The challenge now is institutional.

What is required is a shift from experimentation to a coherent, whole-university approach – one that aligns technology with educational purpose and societal impact.

At Leicester, we are treating AI as a transformation of how the university operates – not an optional enhancement. The focus is not simply on what AI can do, but on how it reshapes teaching, learning, and graduate outcomes.

While many institutions are experimenting with AI, the real leadership challenge is defining how it changes the university itself.

A policy moment for the sector

This is not just an institutional issue – it is a sector-wide and policy question.

If widening participation is to remain meaningful in the next decade, it must evolve to reflect the realities of an AI-driven society. That means recognising AI capability as a core component of graduate outcomes, employability, and economic inclusion.

There is a clear opportunity here for alignment between universities, government, and regulators: to ensure that AI enhances, rather than undermines, social mobility.

A call to act

The choices we make now will determine whether AI becomes a force for inclusion or exclusion.

We can allow it to deepen existing divides – or we can use it to close them.

Levelling up in the age of AI means ensuring that every student, not just a privileged few, develops the capability, confidence, and judgement to thrive.

At Leicester, we believe this is now central to the mission of higher education.

Not just widening access to university, but widening access to success.