Agentic AI Set to Redefine the Future of Higher Education
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond experimentation in higher education, with institutions now entering a more decisive phase that could fundamentally change how universities operate. Industry experts say the shift from generative AI to agentic AI represents a turning point for administration, compliance and student engagement.
According to Ashraf Davids, Solutions Manager for Digital Business Solutions at Datacentrix, universities are beginning to recognise that while generative AI enhances productivity, agentic AI delivers operational transformation.
“Generative AI has shown its value in supporting teaching, learning and research,” Davids says. “However, agentic AI enables institutions to automate complete processes, make decisions and execute tasks across systems with minimal human intervention.”
Generative AI tools are already widely used in higher education to summarise documents, support lesson preparation and assist students with research. Their strength lies in responding to prompts quickly and at scale.
Agentic AI, by contrast, operates independently. These systems can reason, apply rules, validate information, trigger approvals and update multiple platforms while maintaining full audit trails.
“An agentic AI doesn’t just provide answers,” Davids explains. “It manages entire workflows end to end, which is critical for institutions dealing with growing student numbers and limited administrative capacity.”
One of the most immediate use cases for agentic AI is student admissions. Rather than simply reviewing applications, agentic systems can validate documentation, identify missing information, communicate with applicants automatically and update internal systems in real time.
Beyond admissions, agentic AI can support student success by integrating with learning management systems and institutional data platforms. This allows universities to identify at-risk students early, schedule interventions and escalate concerns to academic or support staff.
“In this context, AI becomes an operational partner,” Davids says. “It reduces administrative burden while allowing human staff to focus on decisions that require judgement, care and empathy.”
Despite growing enthusiasm for AI adoption, Davids warns that governance and compliance must underpin every implementation, particularly in highly regulated sectors such as education.
He cites findings from a global study by the University of Melbourne and KPMG, which show that while AI usage among employees is accelerating, fewer than half of organisations have formal AI governance policies in place.
“When sensitive data leaves your environment, you lose control,” Davids cautions. “This exposes institutions to data leakage, intellectual property loss and regulatory penalties.”
International enforcement actions highlight these risks. France’s competition authority, the Autorité de la concurrence, fined Google more than US$271 million over copyright breaches linked to large language models. In Italy, regulators imposed multi-million-euro penalties on an AI chatbot developer for data protection failures.
In South Africa, existing legislation such as the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) already places strict obligations on how data is handled, making compliance-by-design essential for AI systems.
“Agentic AI amplifies both efficiency and risk,” Davids says. “Without proper governance, visibility and auditability, the risks can quickly outweigh the benefits.”
As higher education institutions seek to scale operations while improving student experience, agentic AI offers a compelling path forward. Experts argue that its real impact lies not in the technology itself, but in how institutions rethink their operating models.
“Generative AI enhances learning and knowledge work,” Davids concludes. “Agentic AI has the potential to redefine institutional operations, from admissions and administration to compliance and student support. Universities that embed security, governance and purpose into their AI strategies from the outset will be best positioned to realise long-term value.”
