From colleagues to conferences: Where public administration instructors learn about AI

With artificial intelligence (AI) integration continually increasing in public service, there is growing pressure on public administration instructors to learn more about how the technology works and how to apply it in the classroom. While current literature examines how instructors use it in their courses, less is known about how they pursue AI literacy. The reflection addresses the following question: Through which channels, do instructors in NASPAA-accredited public affairs programs seek to learn about AI for teaching? Drawing on an original survey distributed by NASPAA with 92 respondents, the authors provide an exploratory analysis of how instructors are learning about AI. Findings indicate that instructor engagement in AI learning is widespread and consistent across both gender and rank, with most respondents participating in at least one training opportunity, particularly through university teaching and learning centers, while conferences and professional associations are used less frequently. Given the exploratory nature of this study combined with its smaller size, the authors do not make sweeping assessments, but rather a contribution to the ongoing conversation of AI knowledge acquisition by public affairs instructors. The study highlights that the public administration field would benefit from more information, specifically via interviews, to gain a deeper understanding of how AI literacy is developed among public affairs instructors across the world.