obrien.vision

Psychologist, academic and AI consultant

Justin O'Brien

I work on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in higher education — particularly in assessment, academic integrity and institutional governance.

I have spent more than three decades in academic research and teaching at London universities. I write about the finances and regulation of UK higher education, and about the gap between technological promise and institutional reality.

How I work with institutionsPublications

At a glance

Books and reports
Regulated to Fail (2026) and The 2026 Reckoning, an analysis of the finances of 150 UK universities downloaded more than 8,000 times.
Advisory
AI in assessment, academic integrity, institutional governance and evaluation.
Background
PhD in visual perception; three decades of research and teaching at London universities.
Contact
justin@obrien.vision · London

Publications

All publications →

Regulated to Fail

Why British Universities Cannot Be Saved by the Rules That Broke Them

How did a university system containing so much expertise, evidence and institutional experience arrive at a position in which so many of its institutions have so few good choices left?

A forensic account of how British higher education was regulated into its present position — and why the obvious remedies keep failing. The book’s references, evidence and updates are published at regulatedtofail.com.

Published
2026, RTF Press, London
Extent
305 pages
ISBN
978-1-0676223-1-2

The 2026 Reckoning

Financial sustainability, solvency risk, and policy options for UK higher education

An independent analysis of the published accounts of 150 UK universities, with ten-year projections for income, costs and solvency. Released free of charge.

Released free of charge in March 2026, it has been downloaded more than 8,000 times and prompted extensive discussion within the sector. Regulated to Fail develops its argument.

Version
1.0, March 2026
Extent
395 pages
ISBN
978-1-0676223-0-5
Licence
CC BY 4.0

Download the report

What I am asked to do

More detail →

Assessment

Assessment that still measures something

Whether a task, a rubric or a whole portfolio still evidences what it claims to, now that a capable model can attempt it. Redesign that survives contact with an exam board.

Academic integrity

Integrity policy that holds up

Detection claims tested against what the evidence actually supports, and misconduct processes that remain fair and defensible when the evidence is probabilistic.

Governance

Governance and procurement

Reading an AI proposal against the institution’s regulations, its data, its budget and its regulator — and saying plainly which parts will not work.

Recent writing

All writing →

How UK research funding actually works

If you have ever wondered how UK research funding works, you are not alone.

The OfS has a rule about university accounts

The Office for Students (OfS) has a rule about university accounts. A real one. Not a “best endeavours” one. Not a “when you get round to it” one. An actual condition of being on the register 📜.

Red University Day

🔴 It’s Red University Day. 🔴 I have already posted the “I’m only mildly alarmed” (🟢) and “I’m checking the exits, but calmly” (🟠) lists.

The green and green-ish universities

Last week I posted a list of the green (and green-ish) universities I have the least concern about financially. It was, depressingly, a short list. The amber list, by contrast, is rather longer.

What the £925 international student levy is really for

The £925 levy on international students is not about "Investing in domestic students" or "vital financial support".

Get in touch

For advisory work, speaking, teaching or media enquiries, email justin@obrien.vision. I am based in London and normally reply within a few working days.