College Is Dead

Picture a Columbia University sophomore, buried in her computer science studies, tasked with delivering a short lecture for a class where everyone’s guaranteed an A. She tosses the prompt into ChatGPT, tweaks a couple of words, and submits it. Her professor is floored, asking her to present it to 200 classmates. 

“I was a little nervous,” she shared in a New Yorker article, “but then I realized, if they don’t like it, it wasn’t me who wrote it, you know?”

This isn’t just a student gaming the system—it’s a flare signaling the end of college as we know it. Students are already wielding AI to obliterate busywork, freeing them to chase what sets their minds ablaze. This is the spark for a revolution—one that will torch the old academic order and ignite a new era of learning driven by individual passion.

Smashing the Old Incentives

Charlie Munger, the late investing titan, nailed it: “Show me the incentives, and I’ll show you the outcome.”

The current college system is a rigged game. Universities, with their iron grip on accreditation, charge astronomical tuition for degrees that often deliver more debt than wisdom. In an age where AI tools like ChatGPT and Grok make knowledge a tap away, why let institutions gatekeep your future?

The real currency now is your proof of work—tangible, verified mastery of skills and projects.

It’s time to rip accreditation from the ivory towers and hand it to individuals. Imagine building a digital portfolio of your expertise, certified by decentralized platforms or independent evaluators. This isn’t reform; it’s a full-on power grab. Students become the architects of their education, forcing universities to scramble for relevance with modular courses, elite mentorship, or cutting-edge resources priced to compete. Learning morphs into a lifelong, passion-fueled quest, unleashing a wave of innovation that could rival the Enlightenment.

The Academic Apocalypse

This upheaval will gut the academic ecosystem, and it’s long overdue. Mediocre professors—those sleepwalking through lectures, hiding behind tenure, and assigning essays AI can churn out in seconds—are finished.

"Their reign is over, their relevance obliterated. These academic zombies are being swept away by automation, consigned to the dustbin of history." - Martin Goetzinger

But the great educators? They’re about to become legends. Professors who inspire, challenge, and spark epiphanies will rise as global rockstars—think modern-day philosophers or TED Talk titans, commanding massive followings through online masterclasses, immersive workshops, or world-spanning tours.

Chamath Palihapitiya, on the All-In Podcast, called AI “an accelerant” and “a great equalizer.”

These superstar educators will break free from campus cages, their personal brands drawing learners from New York to Nairobi, redefining what it means to teach in a connected world.

Passion Unleashed

In this new era, students will dive deep into what lights them up, while AI sweeps away the drudgery.

It’s “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” for the AI age.

Our Columbia sophomore automated her lecture to pour her energy into coding projects that thrilled her. Scale that vision: a future physicist could skip rote humanities assignments to master quantum mechanics; a writer might automate math requirements to obsess over narrative craft. This isn’t cheating—it’s liberation, redirecting brainpower to true expertise.

The All-In hosts spotlighted AI’s impact (time: 36:06 - 48:58) in places like South America and South Asia, where adaptive tutors are outpacing classrooms, with Chamath noting companies seeing “absolute liftoff” in personalized learning. This is the dawn of a new renaissance—a world where hyper-specialized knowledge fuels breakthroughs in science, art, and beyond, propelling humanity forward by letting each person chase what sets their soul on fire.

Universities (try) to Cling to Power

Universities won’t go down without a fight. They’re addicted to their power, raking in fortunes through tuition while delivering questionable returns.

The All-In crew exposed the scam: a federal loan system that inflates costs, with elite schools like Harvard skimming 60% off grants, as David Sacks pointes out.

These institutions will dig in, desperate to protect their cash cow credentials. But their days are numbered. The future belongs to agile, learner-driven ecosystems that value real skills over paper diplomas, and no amount of resistance can stop this tide.

Seize the Future Now

Students, parents, educators—don’t wait for permission. The old college system is crumbling, and a vibrant, AI-powered renaissance is rising. Build your proof-of-work portfolio, hunt down those rockstar mentors, and use AI to automate the mundane while chasing your passions. College isn’t about surviving four years; it’s about igniting a lifetime of discovery. This isn’t just a new chapter—it’s a complete rewrite of what education can be, unleashing human potential on a scale that could reshape civilization.

The future is here. Grab it and run.