An interlocutor claimed AGI will make academics a permanent underclass.
#OnlyinSF interactions I have:
- what do you do for work? + I’m a professor - oh but what will u do post AGI/RSI, we won’t need universities anymore, you’re gonna be PERMANENT UNDERCLASS 💀 + i’ll do whatever u do when anthropic adds ur claude wrapper startup idea as an add-on.
Users argue academia should prioritize human flourishing and deep study over becoming industry-like when discussing its role and PhD demand after AGI.
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Agreed. The world also needs more teachers that care at all levels from preschool all the way up to professional levels
My favorite example of this is @rasbt who educates + research (and is killing it - well deserved b/c he provides tons of value).
Just be the best at what you do and there will be rewards.
Haha I empathize with this a lot. I frequently get some variant of “Why go be a professor; academia is a dying industry.” I have so many arguments. (i) no, only the Vannevar Bush American science funding model is dying—not academia, (ii) idk I think humans being able to think critically and do science is pretty vital to the future of humanity; if you want to help train the next generation of human scientists then academia is one of the best places to be, (iii) post AGI there will be an uptick in PhD demand, for people to engage in intellectual pursuits for funsies, (iv) there are many places to do good research; academia and industry. it just looks different in each place
@HamelHusain Wow thanks for the kind words! I think that following your passion is often not a bad thing to do 😊
Agreed. The world also needs more teachers that care at all levels from preschool all the way up to professional levels
My favorite example of this is @rasbt who educates + research (and is killing it - well deserved b/c he provides tons of value).
Just be the best at what you do and there will be rewards.
@niloofar_mire Yep! The cynical version of this is that the AI oligarchs will still really want schools as a place to park the 18-22 year olds to keep them from overthrowing the government.
@gregd_nlp I think the other side holds too, even if you don’t need a job, universities are great places for intellectual pursuit. I was reading on history of schools and apparently school means leisure in m greek and people started schools when they had too much time on their hands lol.
Haha I empathize with this a lot. I frequently get some variant of “Why go be a professor; academia is a dying industry.” I have so many arguments. (i) no, only the Vannevar Bush American science funding model is dying—not academia, (ii) idk I think humans being able to think critically and do science is pretty vital to the future of humanity; if you want to help train the next generation of human scientists then academia is one of the best places to be, (iii) post AGI there will be an uptick in PhD demand, for people to engage in intellectual pursuits for funsies, (iv) there are many places to do good research; academia and industry. it just looks different in each place
#OnlyinSF interactions I have:
- what do you do for work? + I’m a professor - oh but what will u do post AGI/RSI, we won’t need universities anymore, you’re gonna be PERMANENT UNDERCLASS 💀 + i’ll do whatever u do when anthropic adds ur claude wrapper startup idea as an add-on.
If you view AI as normal technology (or believe some careers will keep existing), then university training becomes even more important. Gotta stay in school until you can beat Claude.
#OnlyinSF interactions I have:
- what do you do for work? + I’m a professor - oh but what will u do post AGI/RSI, we won’t need universities anymore, you’re gonna be PERMANENT UNDERCLASS 💀 + i’ll do whatever u do when anthropic adds ur claude wrapper startup idea as an add-on.
Academia desperately needs to change but almost incredibly it’s not in the ways these people think.
Academia shouldnt be industry-lite. It also shouldn’t be focused on pipeline for industry.
Academia, as you allude to, can focus on human flourishing through deep study and understanding
@niloofar_mire They took @jasminewsun 's oped very seriously :-)
#OnlyinSF interactions I have:
- what do you do for work? + I’m a professor - oh but what will u do post AGI/RSI, we won’t need universities anymore, you’re gonna be PERMANENT UNDERCLASS 💀 + i’ll do whatever u do when anthropic adds ur claude wrapper startup idea as an add-on.
@gregd_nlp I think the other side holds too, even if you don’t need a job, universities are great places for intellectual pursuit. I was reading on history of schools and apparently school means leisure in m greek and people started schools when they had too much time on their hands lol.
If you view AI as normal technology (or believe some careers will keep existing), then university training becomes even more important. Gotta stay in school until you can beat Claude.
@gregd_nlp LOL love it. One of my friends calls this mental model of mind “adult day care runner”
@niloofar_mire Yep! The cynical version of this is that the AI oligarchs will still really want schools as a place to park the 18-22 year olds to keep them from overthrowing the government.