How long before Higher Ed collapses due to AI?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5 years? I know some top schools will stay around as novelty but overall seems like collapse is imminent. When graduating classes start experiencing increasing double digit unemployment? Seems like that is just around the corner.

For those who see college purely as a means of acquiring some knowledge or skill that will get you to the next step, who knows. Maybe sooner than later. For those of us who value a residential community of higher learning, never. AI will never replace what an excellent or even good college experience provides.

Yes. Those who study philosophy or gender studies for example -- are their job prospects any different now than 10 years ago?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know what you want to say but in a way uneducated might be the majority already at the moment consider how backward the fundamental education is like now.

Only 40% of Americans have a bachelor's degree or higher.

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/educational-attainment-data.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[Anonymous]

hot takes: OP is an AI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is the same poster who asked 5 years ago if crypto would cause all banking to collapse; and if self-driving cars would cause the auto industry to collapse. How's that going?

I work for a bank regulator. Trust me when I say this, banks are worried!

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-15/crypto-s-win-on-landmark-legislation-reshapes-rivalry-with-banks

But crypto has been around in a big way for 10+ years. Every year, we hear how it's going to take over the world, and it hasn't.

Yes, your link involves a potential US regulatory change, but other countries have always had looser rules. Some countries even adopted crypto as one of their official currencies (El Salvador). Yet, crypto has not done all these things people fear it will do, like get rid of banks; alleviate the need for USD/EUR/etc, and so on.

And how about self-driving cars? Just 5 years ago, people were saying maybe we won't even need to build houses with garages and driveways as we'll just summon a car on demand and it'll drive to us and drive us around. What happened to that?

In other words, every couple years, we hear about some "this will change everything" technology. Most do have some effect, especially at the fringes, but they have never really brought down major industries like higher ed, and I don't think they will now either.

All I can tell you is that the politicians and the oligarchs have both bought in on crypto in the US. In a big way. That hasn't happened before. I can't even tell you how many times I've heard, "... the US needs to be the king of crypto..." since Jan 2025. I used to think the politicians would keep us safe. After the last two leg actions, I'm pretty convinced they've drank the kool-aid also. So ... we'll see. But this thread isn't about crypto, so let's not hijack it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5 years? I know some top schools will stay around as novelty but overall seems like collapse is imminent. When graduating classes start experiencing increasing double digit unemployment? Seems like that is just around the corner.

For those who see college purely as a means of acquiring some knowledge or skill that will get you to the next step, who knows. Maybe sooner than later. For those of us who value a residential community of higher learning, never. AI will never replace what an excellent or even good college experience provides.

Yes. Those who study philosophy or gender studies for example -- are their job prospects any different now than 10 years ago?

Philosophy majors are in high demand from rigorous programs. Their highly developed thinking is very useful in privacy roles and Product roles at many of the AI companies. They do very well in consulting and banking from the right schools and tend to crush law school. Might want to rethink the snarky comments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is the same poster who asked 5 years ago if crypto would cause all banking to collapse; and if self-driving cars would cause the auto industry to collapse. How's that going?

I work for a bank regulator. Trust me when I say this, banks are worried!

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-15/crypto-s-win-on-landmark-legislation-reshapes-rivalry-with-banks

But crypto has been around in a big way for 10+ years. Every year, we hear how it's going to take over the world, and it hasn't.

Yes, your link involves a potential US regulatory change, but other countries have always had looser rules. Some countries even adopted crypto as one of their official currencies (El Salvador). Yet, crypto has not done all these things people fear it will do, like get rid of banks; alleviate the need for USD/EUR/etc, and so on.

And how about self-driving cars? Just 5 years ago, people were saying maybe we won't even need to build houses with garages and driveways as we'll just summon a car on demand and it'll drive to us and drive us around. What happened to that?

In other words, every couple years, we hear about some "this will change everything" technology. Most do have some effect, especially at the fringes, but they have never really brought down major industries like higher ed, and I don't think they will now either.

All I can tell you is that the politicians and the oligarchs have both bought in on crypto in the US. In a big way. That hasn't happened before. I can't even tell you how many times I've heard, "... the US needs to be the king of crypto..." since Jan 2025. I used to think the politicians would keep us safe. After the last two leg actions, I'm pretty convinced they've drank the kool-aid also. So ... we'll see. But this thread isn't about crypto, so let's not hijack it.

That is just one bunch of grifters. Crypto will be dead as soon as it seriously threantens a key sovereign currency. Besides, Quantum will make it crackable within a decade or less.

[Anonymous]

It may go the other way, Op. When jobs are hard to get, then people go back to school for master’s degrees or certificates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never, AI will take over the grunt work, entry level jobs which will change the workforce dynamic but pursuit of academic attainment for higher level jobs and general enrichment will remain.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It may go the other way, Op. When jobs are hard to get, then people go back to school for master’s degrees or certificates.

Already happening, and law apps are significantly up as well, phD up mildly though a lot are internationals.
MD apps were already highest in 20+ years. MD is a harder path to pivot to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5 years? I know some top schools will stay around as novelty but overall seems like collapse is imminent. When graduating classes start experiencing increasing double digit unemployment? Seems like that is just around the corner.

For those who see college purely as a means of acquiring some knowledge or skill that will get you to the next step, who knows. Maybe sooner than later. For those of us who value a residential community of higher learning, never. AI will never replace what an excellent or even good college experience provides.

This. Higher ed will move back to being educational and not where people get certified to get a job. This is actually a great thing, and I hope it speeds up. It is so tiring that people no longer want to talk about merit, rigorous thinking, and actual education, but want to make it a playground for the rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:5 years? I know some top schools will stay around as novelty but overall seems like collapse is imminent. When graduating classes start experiencing increasing double digit unemployment? Seems like that is just around the corner.

AI won’t have any big effect.

Putin and Ci weaponizing Republicans to attack colleges and universities might cause some stress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hers is that AI poster again. Shows up every once in a while to crowdsource about AI

I'm not the OP, but you're open to this what you want, but sharing some info just in case you're living under a rock:

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/24/jamie-dimon-ai-job-loss.html
https://abc7.com/post/anthropic-ceo-warns-artificial-intelligence-will-eliminate-jobs-what-can-do-protect-career/16586317/
https://www.hbs.edu/bigs/will-artificial-intelligence-improve-or-eliminate-jobs
https://www.amundsendavislaw.com/labor-employment-law-update/ai-in-employment-related-decisions-part-1-big-tech-and-federal-power
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/05/14/prepare-for-an-ai-jobs-apocalypse
https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/ais-job-whats-worker-do

I'll stop here. That's a lot of reading to do, I know. Pro tip: look for the recommendation on each one. It's the same one!

Huh, wonder why CEOs are so eager to get people scared about big job losses? It’s a mystery.

[Anonymous]

Within 6 years.

[Anonymous]

I agree there needs to be some controls around the use of AI. At the same time, from what I have heard and read, companies are just pointing towards AI for layoffs when in reality it is not true so they don't get sued. We know AI is not to a point yet to cause this kind of layoffs. All the AI stuff we are seeing in doing work for clients are all still in the way early stages doing proof of concepts. I think the main reason for layoffs is to cut costs rather than efficiencies obtained by AI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP is the same poster who asked 5 years ago if crypto would cause all banking to collapse; and if self-driving cars would cause the auto industry to collapse. How's that going?

+1. I recall a decade ago that truck drivers were supposed to no longer exist at this point as the trucks would be driving themselves. So much hand wringing in the media about that one to drive clicks.