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Education·P Space·Evidence-backed problem·Published 2026-07-12

‘It’s going to be a life skill’: educators discuss the impact of AI on university education

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently told a US podcast that if he was graduating today, “I would feel like the luckiest kid in all of history.” Altman, whose company developed and released ChatGPT in November 2022, believes the transformative power of AI offers unprecedented opportunities for young people. Yes, there will be job displacement, but “this always happens,” says Altman, “and young people are the best at adapting to this.” New, more exciting jobs will emerge, full of greater possibilities. For UK sixth-form…

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‘It’s going to be a life skill’: educators discuss the impact of AI on university education
The quick read

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently told a US podcast that if he was graduating today, “I would feel like the luckiest kid in all of history.” Altman, whose company developed and released ChatGPT in November 2022, believes the transformative power of AI offers unprecedented opportunities for young people. Yes, there will be job displacement, but “this always happens,” says Altman, “and young people are the best at adapting to this.” New, more exciting jobs will emerge, full of greater possibilities.

For UK sixth-formers and their families looking at universities, trying to make the best possible choices about what to study, and where, in the age of generative AI, Altman’s words may offer some comfort. Dr Andrew Rogoyski, of the Institute for People-Centred AI at the University of Surrey, says that in many cases students will already be well versed in AI and ahead of the game.

Main points
  • OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently told a US podcast that if he was graduating today, “I would feel like the luckiest kid in all of history.” Altman, whose company developed and released ChatGPT in November 2022, believes the transformative power of AI offers unprecedented opportunities for young people.
  • Yes, there will be job displacement, but “this always happens,” says Altman, “and young people are the best at adapting to this.” New, more exciting jobs will emerge, full of greater possibilities.
  • For UK sixth-formers and their families looking at universities, trying to make the best possible choices about what to study, and where, in the age of generative AI, Altman’s words may offer some comfort.
Problem

But actually this has gone from the launch of ChatGPT to ‘Should we ban it?’, to ‘OK, here are some concerns about exams’, to actually recognising it’s going to be a life skill that we have to teach in every course and that we want all our students to have equitable access to.

The rundown

For UK sixth-formers and their families looking at universities, trying to make the best possible choices about what to study, and where, in the age of generative AI, Altman’s words may offer some comfort. But in a fast-changing environment, experts say there are steps students can take to ensure they are well placed both to make the most of their university experience and to emerge from their studies qualified for the jobs of the future.

Sources

The debate