Universities Must Embrace AI or Face Extinction

In my previous post, I outlined how artificial intelligence (AI) poses an existential threat to higher education. That article sparked many conversations, and one recurring question stood out: What should universities actually do to prepare? This post is my answer.

Even before AI, college enrollments were projected to decline, driven by shrinking birth rates and the rising burden of student debt. Now, AI’s rapid ability to replicate the work of mid-level knowledge workers raises urgent questions about the value of a traditional bachelor’s degree. If a degree no longer guarantees better employment prospects, we could see enrollment drops resembling those from before World War II, when fewer than 5% of Americans attended college—compared to around 40% today.

Yet this doesn’t have to mark the end of higher education. University leaders—Presidents, Provosts, and Trustees—must act decisively, embracing AI rather than resisting it. By redefining their core mission and focusing on what AI cannot replace, institutions can remain indispensable even as the job market transforms.

From Elite Institutions to Mass Credentialing—and Back Again?

Before World War II, American higher education was not about job training—it was about intellectual and personal development:

Intellectual Rigor – Students engaged deeply in philosophy, rhetoric, and interdisciplinary scholarship.
Moral and Civic Leadership – Universities shaped ethical, community-minded leaders.
Broad Knowledge – Curricula encouraged cross-disciplinary exploration over narrow specialization.

After the war, this emphasis diminished. The GI Bill expanded access, and universities became focused on preparing students for jobs rather than personal or intellectual growth. While this shift was beneficial for economic mobility, today’s AI-driven world demands a return to foundational skills that AI cannot fully replicate: critical thinking, reasoning, and adaptive problem-solving.

Meanwhile, higher education faces a double crisis: a projected 13% enrollment decline by 2041—likely an underestimate if AI disrupts white-collar job markets even faster than expected.

AI’s Rapid Ascent—And What It Means for Universities

AI has advanced dramatically in just a few years. Today’s best AI systems can achieve “B” or better in nearly all college courses. A Frontiers in Psychology study found that ChatGPT can even surpass humans in perceived emotional intelligence—a domain once thought uniquely human. Meanwhile, many AI experts, myself included, predict that artificial general intelligence (AGI) could arrive within the next decade. Once AGI emerges, it will displace many of the jobs people attend college to obtain.

This trajectory is an existential threat to universities reliant on the promise of career advancement. If employers can access AI that is faster, never fatigued, has mastered every discipline, and even competent in emotional intelligence, the economic rationale for college weakens.

Embracing AI: Key Strategies for University Leaders

For universities to remain relevant, leaders must integrate AI strategically—not just in coursework, but in the institution’s entire operational model. This requires investing in AI and future-critical fields while aggressively cutting costs in non-essential areas to prepare for enormous decreases in enrollment due to college no longer being essential for many careers.

Appoint AI-Focused Leadership: Create high-level positions (e.g., Associate Provost for AI) with real authority to shape curriculum, research, and policy. Brown University has taken steps in this direction, but the impact depends on funding, autonomy, and institutional commitment. To be effective, this role requires a scientist-leader who is an expert in the frontiers of AI. I’ve been dismayed by organizations hiring Chief AI Officers who only have superficial AI expertise.
Invest in AI & Future-Critical Fields: AI literacy should be universal across all disciplines. Research funding should prioritize AI, robotics, experiment-focused disciplines, biotech, sustainability, and critical infrastructure—fields where human expertise will remain essential. Industry partnerships will be crucial in securing external funding and preparing graduates for AI-driven markets.
Reduce Administrative Bloat & Low-Value Programs: Universities must prepare for declining enrollments by reducing bureaucratic overhead, consolidating low-demand programs, and reallocating resources toward research and student mentorship.
Redefine Education for an AI-Driven Future: AI-trivial coursework must be eliminated. Universities should replace rote assignments with real-world problem-solving, interdisciplinary collaboration, and leadership training. Degrees must emphasize critical thinking, reasoning, and ethics—areas where human judgment will be essential for effectively collaborating with AI Agents. AI is unlikely to replace scientists at the frontiers of their field, and cultivating scientific excellence and doctoral training will remain essential.

By investing in AI while reorganizing to become more efficient, universities can position themselves as hubs of innovation rather than victims of technological disruption.

Conclusion

AI is forcing a reckoning for higher education. The old model—where universities mass-produce degrees as a ticket to the middle class—is rapidly becoming obsolete. Without change, many institutions will fade into irrelevance.

Yet AI is not just a threat—it’s an opportunity. Universities that embrace human-AI collaboration, interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, and leadership development will remain essential in the AI era. The true danger isn’t AI itself, but institutional inertia—a failure to recognize and adapt to this transformation.

University leaders must act now. Those who fail to integrate AI strategically will see accelerating enrollment declines and institutional collapse. But for those that evolve, the future remains bright. The coming years will determine which universities lead in the AI-driven world and which ones disappear. With bold AI-focused governance and a renewed commitment to deep learning, higher education can continue to serve as a cornerstone of intellectual and societal progress for generations to come.