Have you ever wondered how AI will affect higher education degrees in computer science? Jad Tarifi, a former Google engineer from the early days of the generative AI team, has warned against the consequences of pursuing a higher education degree in the current scenario, hinting at how AI can make their knowledge outdated in just five years!
Tarifi, who played a key role at Google‘s first generative AI team and is now a co-founder of Integral AI, argues that a traditional PhD degree in the field is no longer a viable path for most aspiring technologists. According to Tarifi, the pace of AI development is so fast that by the time a student completes a doctoral program in AI, their specialised knowledge may already be outdated.
Ex-Google engineer says PhD in AI useless
In a conversation with Business Insider, Tarifi warned that students pursuing a PhD simply to “cash in on the AI hype” will likely be disappointed. “AI itself is going to be gone by the time you finish a Ph.D.,” he said, suggesting that the core technology will have been replaced by more advanced systems. He added that the field is evolving at an unprecedented rate, leading to significant breakthroughs in robotics, drug discovery, and natural language systems happening constantly in commercial labs and startups.
By the time a new PhD student graduates and enters the workforce, the generative AI industry will have moved on to more advanced concepts and applications.
What should technology students do then?
Tarifi’s advice is to instead focus on hands-on experience and niche fields where AI is still in its nascent stages, such as biology. He says that learning outside a formal academic setting is more valuable for those who want to stay relevant in the field of artificial intelligence. “You will move much faster. You’ll learn a lot more. You’ll be more adaptive to how things are changed,” he explained.
Tarifi’s perspective comes from experience. After earning his PhD in AI from the University of Florida in 2012, Tarifi spent a decade at Google before co-founding his company, Integral AI. Looking back, he believes a long academic journey can feel like “sacrificing years of one’s life” without being able to keep up with the real-world speed of the industry.
He suggests a PhD is only worth it for the “weird people” who are “truly obsessed with research” for its own sake, not for a career advantage.