Summer Book: Co-Intelligence
From Wharton professor Ethan Mollick, Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI (2024) spractical playbook for partnering with AI without losing our human agency. Skipping dense code and sci-fi doom, Mollick frames AI as an adaptable, capable “thought partner” rather than just another software update.
For graduate admissions and enrollment professionals, this book hits directly at our daily operational realities. As we face shifting demographics and heavy administrative workloads, Co-Intelligence&nbs p;provides an actionable blueprint to help us optimize workflows, drive strategy, and rethink evaluations.
For a quick primer before diving into the text, check out this Co-Intelligence 12-Minute Video Summary, which breaks down the author’s core frameworks for professional collaboration.
Grab Your Copy
Retail: The hardcover generally retails around $18.00–$22.00, while the Kindle/eBook edition sits around $14.99.
The Audio Version: The audiobook is narrated by Mollick himself and is available on Audible or Audiobooks.com for 1 credit (approx. $15.00).
Your Neighborhood Library: You may be able to check out copies instantly via Libby or BorrowBox using your local municipal library card or your university’s institutional library login. Physical copies are also heavily stocked across most public library branches.
Our Timeline
Week 1: August 2-9
In this introduction, Mollick establishes that AI is an adaptable, entity-like “thought partner” rather than a mere software upgrade.
Read: Introduction (~15 pages, ~15 minutes audio)
Action: Post in this week’s discussion, join virtual meet-up 1/3
🗓️Virtual Meetup: August 4, 12:30 – 1:30 ET
Zoom Link | Passcode: 878119 | Add to Cal
Week 2: August 9-16
A clean, accessible breakdown of how Large Language Models actually work (word prediction vs. human thinking) and the ethical challenges behind data training.
Read: Chapters 1-2 (~55 pages, ~50 minutes)
Action: Post in the weekly discussion!
Week 3: August 16-23
Introduces vital workflow concepts like navigating the “jagged frontier” and the philosophy of always inviting AI to the table.
Read: Chapter 3 (~30 pages, ~35 minutes)
Action: Post in the weekly discussion!
Week 4: August 23-30
Why treating an AI prompt like a human coworker yields vastly superior outputs compared to a Google search, and how to leverage it for non-linear brainstorming.
Read: Chapters 4-5 (~50 pages, ~55 minutes)
Action: Post in the weekly discussion, join virtual meet-up 2/3
🗓️Virtual Meetup: August 25, 12:15 – 1:15 ET
Zoom Link | Passcode: 059411 | Add to Google Cal
Week 5: August 30 – September 6
Explores professional workflows and tackles the major disruption of generative AI inside the classroom (“The Homework Apocalypse”).
Read: Chapters 6-7 (~55 pages, ~60 minutes)
Action: Post in the weekly discussion!
Week 6: September 6-13 (final reading week)
Looks at utilizing AI as an executive-level sounding board for high-stakes decision-making and forecasting trends for the future.
Read: Chapters 8-9 (~50 pages, ~55 minutes)
Action: Post in the weekly discussion!
Week 7: September 13 – 20
Action: Join us for our final virtual gathering to discuss the book!
🗓️Virtual Meetup: September 18, 12 – 1 ET
Zoom Link | Passcode: 220797 | Add to Google Cal
Week 8: SEAGAP Conference, September 25
Action: Join us at the SEAGAP regional conference in Jacksonville, Florida for our first in-person book club meeting, and receive your bookmark for club participants!
Join the Discussion
Click the headline below to enter the discussion:
Week 6: Executive Sounding Boards & Forecasting Trends
Welcome to the final week of this summer’s SEAGAP Book Club! This week we wrap up our reading with Chapter 8 (“AI as a Coach”) and Chapter 9 (“AI as Our Future”). We’re shifting our focus to high-level strategy, decision-making, and long-term planning. Share your thoughts in the thread on these two questions: Drop your…
Week 5: Centaurs, Cyborgs, & The Classroom Disruption
Happy Week 5, SEAGAP Book Club! This week we cover Chapter 6 (“AI as a Co-Worker”) and Chapter 7 (“AI as a Tutor”), shifting from quick prompt experiments into deeper structural changes in our work and higher education. Jump into the thread below and share your takes: Drop your takes, workflow tricks, or questions below!
Week 4: The Pitfalls of “AI as a Person” & Creative Collaboration
Happy Week 4, SEAGAP Book Club! ⚡ This week we dive into Chapter 4 (“AI as a Person”) and Chapter 5 (“AI as a Creative Partner”). While Ethan Mollick argues that treating AI like a person yields far superior outputs than treating it like standard software, treating AI like a human colleague comes with distinct…