We attempted to answer the question: what are the benefits of higher education? Is the goal of studying to obtain a university degree, the value of which, objectively speaking, seems to be diminishing in recent years, or rather to acquire a set of specific skills, such as critical thinking, knowledge that can be enriched and skillfully multiplied, leadership skills, and the opportunity to develop soft skills such as presentations, negotiations, teamwork, and ethical decision-making?
During the debate, compelling arguments were raised: universities are failing to keep pace with technological and social changes and the challenges they pose. It was assessed that conservative institutions were using outdated educational models and were failing to engage students in tasks that would bring them tangible benefits in the future, such as essential training in prompting and collaboration with artificial intelligence.
On the other hand, it was demonstrated that indiscriminating use of AI tools by students can lead to a decline in critical thinking skills, the possibility of relying on completely erroneous premises and information in decision-making (resulting from the issue of “AI hallucination”), and the prospect of mass job losses in the near future, caused by the development of AI and the lower cost of using algorithms rather than employing humans.
The debate demonstrated the need to combine seemingly opposing values. Participants agreed on the need for greater use of AI tools in education, not the elimination of AI from the teaching process, but skillful collaboration with future technologies. It was acknowledged that in the current situation, even partial progress, not perfection, would be the path to achieving this goal. It was noted that in the near future, employers will no longer need mindless consumers of AI applications, but will instead require critically thinking, informed users who are constantly developing their skills and can distinguish valuable data from false and fabricated information. This skill should be developed during university studies.
Finally, the question of the value of a university degree itself was raised, establishing that not all universities offer good value for money. The scandal of a university offering degrees for money rather than for the knowledge gained was mentioned, and it was recognized that some renowned universities have a much better reputation among employers than others. It was hoped that Lazarski University is one of these respected and recognized universities.
The debate concluded with the argument that studying is still a necessary element of obtaining education, which will give humans advantage over the algorithms and technology that will dominate the job market in the near future.
