As artificial intelligence reshapes our world, higher education stands at a crossroads. The rise of AI has understandably sparked fears of obsolescence in our traditional academic models, especially writing, with some going as far as predicting the outright demise of universities as we know them.
However, this technological revolution doesn’t spell doom for higher education, it presents an opportunity for renaissance, provided that we in higher education learn the right lessons from it. The path forward is illuminated not by the research powerhouse universities whose researchers are at the forefront of AI’s creation, but by an unexpected source: liberal arts colleges.
Many universities have responded to the latest technological developments by doubling down on the already overbearing push to get students to focus on STEM fields, particularly data science and coding. In so doing, we continue casting aside the likes of history, philosophy and sociology. While highly technical skills are undoubtedly valuable, the demand that we develop graduates with such a narrow focus misses the broader implications of AI’s ascendance. The reality is that AI systems are amazing at taking on highly technical tasks. As such, those students who are specialists — siloed in a singular field — will find themselves the most vulnerable to job loss as AI inevitably progresses.
Liberal arts institutions are built on producing generalists, with their hallmark goal being to develop dynamic well-rounded individuals who are adept at adaptation. This is precisely what AI-era employers are looking for. As routine cognitive tasks become automated, the workforce of tomorrow needs individuals who can think across disciplines, communicate complex ideas and navigate the novel quandaries posed by a technology that is outpacing our laws and ethics.
For example, who should we hold responsible when a driverless vehicle is in an accident? Who should the car look to protect when an accident is inevitable? How will we deal with the tens of thousands of people who find themselves unemployed when autonomous driving technology becomes widely adopted? These sorts of questions cannot be answered by algorithms alone. The future therefore requires the kind of nuanced, contextual thinking that a liberal arts education fosters.
Rather than narrowing their pedagogical focus to technical skills, universities should instead look to broaden their curricula. That isn’t to say they should resist focusing on developing technical knowledge, but that they should be looking for unique ways to integrate courses on AI and data science with courses in ethics, philosophy and the social sciences. This approach will produce graduates who not only understand AI’s technical aspects but who can also critically evaluate its societal impacts and guide its ethical implementation.
Another liberal arts lesson universities will do well to emulate is the emphasis on small class sizes and close faculty-student interaction. Even our biggest schools must begin to look for ways to trade their massive lecture halls for small classrooms if they want to survive as an institution. This is not optional. AI will soon be conversational and interactive to the point that as an education form, it will be able to surpass the quality of a “sage on a stage” who stands in front of hundreds of students at a time without ever forming a meaningful personal connection with any of them. The value of human mentorship and collaborative learning, center to a liberal arts education, will only increase as AI’s educational capabilities develop.
One way to help professors at massive universities transition to the small classroom model is by allowing AI to take over routine instructional tasks in much the same way that they already do when they farm out their teaching duties to graduate students. Doing so will free human educators to engage in more meaningful interactions with their students, fostering the kind of deep learning and personal growth that AI cannot replicate.
The liberal arts model also offers important lessons in adaptability. These institutions have long recognized that the specific knowledge students acquire may quickly become outdated. However, the skills of critical thinking, effective communication, and lifelong learning never lose their value. Universities across the board must embrace this philosophy, focusing on cultivating adaptable, curious minds rather than imparting soon-to-be-obsolete information.
One way or another, as we stand on the brink of an AI-driven future, it is clear that higher education must evolve. We will adapt or die, just as the case in nature. The universities that thrive in this new era will be those that produce not just programmers and data scientists, but ethicists, creative thinkers and adaptive problem-solvers. In other words, successful universities will be those that learn the lesson of the liberal arts.
Nicholas B. Creel is an associate professor of business law and co-director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Georgia College & State University, a liberal arts school.
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