Why the current college degree playbook should be reimagined

I have written many times about my view that AI-driven changes in the job market will not come in a big bang way.

- TECH4GOOD

Recent developments, however, are making me reconsider that thinking.I recently represented the Philippines at a regional consultation meeting in Tokyo to discuss AI for Development in preparation for the launch of the World Bank World Development Report 2026. A key finding from the meeting was the current fear among college students that, by the time they graduate, all the entry-level jobs meant for them will have been taken over by AI. This may be happening in far-advanced economies, but there is no doubt that we will soon see the same in the Philippines. And what will be the job prospects for those still in high school?

The adage "get a degree, get a job" is being upended by technology. Most entry-level roles, such as data entry, basic coding, report drafting, and summarizing meeting notes, are now being done by AI. These junior roles are the easiest to cut, consolidate, and backfill with software. But for Yoshua Bengio, the AI scientist who helped create AI, eventually everyone's jobs will be impacted within five years. That is scary, indeed.