What’s the Point of College?

Higher education faces a critical inflection point as artificial intelligence challenges traditional models of learning and expertise. The evolution of the university has transitioned from an era of information scarcity to an era of deep expertise, and now requires a shift toward a third era centered on community-based learning. While AI threatens to commodify knowledge and facilitate academic dishonesty, it also offers opportunities for personalized tutoring. To preserve the value of a degree, institutions must move beyond content delivery to foster human-centric skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and social fitness. David Deming, Dean of Harvard College, emphasizes that the university’s enduring purpose lies in providing a "commitment device" where students learn through shared struggle and interpersonal engagement. Ultimately, the ability to persuade, present ideas, and navigate complex social dynamics remains an irreplaceable human skill in an increasingly automated workforce.