AI Is a Human Problem: Chad Okrusch on Integrity, Ethics, and Leading Through Change
In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast, Zach sits down with Dr. Chad Okrusch, a tenured Professor of Philosophy and Communication and Montana Tech’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer—the first role of its kind within the Montana University System.
Chad brings an unusually human perspective to AI leadership. With roots in IT and more than two decades of work across philosophy, ethics, environmental studies, and communication, he argues that AI shouldn’t simply be treated as another technology problem. It is a social disruption that forces institutions to think deeply about human agency, integrity, and what they are ultimately trying to preserve.
The conversation explores Chad’s concept of systems integrity, why campus AI leaders should spend more time listening to skeptics, and how AI can actually give people time back for the parts of their jobs that are most human. He also explains why “soft skills” like communication, critical thinking, ethics, and character are becoming increasingly durable skills in an AI-driven world.
For higher education leaders navigating AI adoption, Chad offers a refreshingly simple starting point: listen first. Understand the system, the people within it, and their fears before prescribing solutions. AI leadership isn’t about being the AI police or blindly championing every new tool—it’s about helping institutions adapt without losing sight of human flourishing.
