A College Education Will Be ‘More Important Than Ever’ In Age Of AI

As companies around the world rush to capitalize on the potential of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, increasing numbers of young people are wondering how this new technology will impact their career prospects.

A recent survey conducted by ADP Research found that Americans aged 18 to 24 were more likely than any other age group to believe AI will replace some or most of their existing job functions, driving some to pursue trades and other blue-collar jobs thought to be more “AI-proof.” While the apparent job security and high earning potential of these roles make them an attractive prospect for many, students shouldn’t discount the long-term value of a college degree, says Dr. Shrihari Sridhar, senior associate dean at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School. Rather than be made obsolete by AI, he said, many of the skills emphasized in higher education will actually become more valuable as AI tools transform the workplace.

“We have seen this happen before,” said Sridhar, who serves as Professor and Joe B. Foster ’56 Chair in Business Leadership in the Department of Marketing. “People rush to vocational schools or specialized education because they feel like they can get a quick return on their investment.”

However, he said, millions of office jobs and other roles requiring a college degree may not be as vulnerable to AI as people think. These tools are still primarily being used to complete repetitive, time-consuming tasks like analyzing massive quantities of data or responding to a large number of simple requests. “The important thing here to recognize is that when all those repeatable and mundane tasks get taken out, it’s not necessarily the case that humans get taken out,” Sridhar said.

Rather, he said, many jobs are moving toward a new model in which human employees work alongside AI helpers to accomplish more in less time. Sridhar offered the example of a call center, in which AI could be used to screen calls and determine the exact nature of a caller’s request before transferring them to a human employee who can fully address that request. That way, he said, “I get the first 15 boring questions out of the way with AI, and then get to the crux of the problem — how to build trust, credibility and emotional connection with the customer.”

Over time, as the more repetitive or predictable aspects of a job are offloaded to AI, the need for strong critical thinking and people skills will become even greater, Sridhar said, as companies seek out employees who can accomplish what AI cannot.

“You need broad-based skills. You need critical thinking. You need to be able to solve problems with other people. You need creative breakthroughs, and you need societal and emotional intelligence,” Sridhar said. “All of those are things you get at a college.”

He said educators should continue to emphasize these skills in their curriculum while also encouraging students to familiarize themselves with the range of AI tools at their disposal, preparing them for a future in which managers may lead teams composed of both human workers and AI helpers.

“What does leadership mean when you have to lead a team of humans alongside AI bots that do specialized tasks? You still need to form a sense of community, you still need to inculcate respect, and you still need instill values,” Sridhar said. “Learning what AI can do (while) also improving as a human will always be the long-term solution.”