What A.I. Means for the Future of Work and Education

Within the next five years, 75% of organizations are expected to adopt A.I. practices and, in turn, experts expect a job loss rate of 25%.

Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera’s CEO, recently sat down with Fortune to discuss the rise of A.I. in the workplace—and what it means for the future of work and education.

“If all these jobs become a lot more vulnerable, then everybody’s in the reskilling world,” Maggioncalda says. “If you don’t know how to use A.I. for your job, you’re in trouble. All employers want you to be able to use this if you’ve graduated.”

MORE VARIETY IN DEGREE OPTIONS AND PATHWAYS

One effect that A.I. could have on higher education, Maggioncalda says, is a rise in different “pathways” to degree programs. Colleges and universities will need to offer lower cost and more flexible certificate and degree options that offer students valuable skills to compete in the workplace.

“I do think that there is a much higher level of competition and alternatives available,” Maggioncalda says. “For the learner, it looks like more options than alternatives. For the university, it looks like competition.”

THE RISE OF ONLINE LEARNING

In recent years, online MBA programs have grown in popularity. According to data from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the number of accredited U.S. schools offering fully online MBA programs skyrocketed from 284 to 526 between the academic years of 2016-17 and 2020-21. That’s an 85% increase.

Online learning, however, still has room for growth. One of the top concerns for online learners is the lack of one-on-one mentorship and coaching for post-grad opportunities.

Maggioncalda says A.I. can help with this. This spring, Coursera launched a new coach function, powered by ChatGPT, that allows online students to ask specific and targeted questions about course material.

“The main change in the way people learn—because of A.I.—is that it’s going to be more personalized. It’s going to be more interactive,” Maggioncalda says. “The easiest way to think about it is if every single student had a personal [teaching assistant]. You’ll have someone to help you with your career coaching and help you with your studies.”

Sources: Fortune, Fortune