A CDW Artificial Intelligence Research Report finds higher-education staff expect AI and collaboration tools to cut workloads, streamline workflows and speed innovation. Respondents cited potential benefits: reduced workload (83%), streamlined workflows (81%), and faster innovation (78%). Institutions facing staffing shortages and burnout are positioning AI as an efficiency lever for administrative tasks and decision-making. Campus leaders are considering pilot programs for AI-driven scheduling, grant processing and student support automation while weighing risks related to data privacy and implementation capacity. Human-resources and IT leaders must pair any AI rollout with change management, staff retraining and governance to avoid compounding workload stress or creating new points of failure in administrative operations.