Colleges Are Teaching Graduates to Fear AI, Says Deloitte Executive

New graduates are entering the workforce with a deep-seated fear of artificial intelligence — and their universities may be to blame. That is the view of Rob Hillard, CEO of Deloitte Asia-Pacific, who argues that higher education institutions are actively undermining graduates’ workplace readiness by framing AI use as a form of academic dishonesty.

A culture of avoidance, not adaptation

Speaking in a Bloomberg interview, Hillard warned of a “negative perception” of AI among new hires that stems directly from university policies. A Gallup–Lumina survey of roughly 3,800 students supports this: 42% say their schools actively discourage AI use, and 11% report outright bans. Yet the technology is already pervasive — 57% of U.S. college students use AI for coursework at least once a week, and one in five use it daily. The gap betweeninstitutional policy and student reality is stark.

Hillard believes the fix requires a fundamental shift in mindset. “We have to change that,” he said, stressing that the only path forward is “working hands-on with the technology” to build an effective partnership between people and machines.

Firms are moving fast — hiring must keep up

Major consulting and professional services firms are not waiting. Deloitte has rolled out its in-house AI platform, PairD, to tens of thousands of employees to handle tasks in audit, coding, and research — work once assigned to junior staff. Despite this automation wave, Hillard says Deloitte is hiring “record numbers of graduates” and investing heavily in training. Not every firm is following suit: PwC plans to cut U.S. entry-level hiring by roughly a third over the next three years, citing AI’s impact.

The stakes are significant. An August 2025 Reuters survey found that 71% of American workers fear AI will permanently displace jobs. As firms race ahead, universities that keep treating AI as a threat risk producing graduates who are already behind on their first day.