College Diplomas May Lose Value With the Rise of AI — Expert Warns: The Market Will Leave Behind Those Who Don't Take These Actions

College Diplomas May Lose Value With the Rise of AI — Expert Warns: The Market Will Leave Behind Those Who Don’t Take These Actions

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 19/06/2025 at 16:37

Updated on 19/06/2025 at 16:45

Foto: Reprodução

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With Artificial Intelligence Rapidly Changing Market Demands, Practical Skills Are More Valuable Than Academic Education.

The revolution of artificial intelligence is changing the way companies hire. A new report from the American consulting firm PwC suggests that university degrees may be becoming obsolete in some areas of work.

According to the data, employers’ priorities are shifting towards practical skills, especially in sectors more exposed to AI.

Report Shows Change in Market Demands

The report “AI Jobs Barometer 2025,” published by PwC, analyzed about one billion job postings and thousands of financial reports from companies across six continents.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

More Opportunities for Those Without a Degree

For workers, this scenario may represent an opportunity. According to the report, the diminishing importance of degrees could democratize access to qualified jobs.

This means that people without a university education, but with practical skills, may have a better chance of competing for good positions.

In areas exposed to AI, employers’ priorities are shifting towards what professionals can do today, rather than what they studied in the past.

Traditional education is no longer the only way to learn. Today, it is possible to acquire knowledge using AI tools and language models, such as LLMs.

Invest in Practical and Continuous Learning

Joe Atkinson, Global AI Director at PwC, believes that the landscape is changing rapidly.

In an interview with CNBC, he recommended that professionals adapt on their own. For him, studying artificial intelligence independently has become essential for anyone wishing to maintain a relevant career.

“The most important thing is that AI skills are practical. They are applied skills… you need to use the technology,” said Atkinson. He also recommended following technology blogs, testing AI models, and learning how to prompt LLMs correctly.

According to him, we are entering a new economy where access to knowledge will be much greater. This will also raise the bar of demands. To stand out, it will be necessary to stay updated and in continuous learning.

Formal Education Still Has Its Value

Despite highlighting the importance of self-learning, Atkinson does not completely dismiss the value of formal education. For him, higher education offers more than just technical content.

He believes that universities develop skills such as critical thinking, interaction capacity, and deep analysis — aspects that will continue to be valued in the future.

Even so, the main message is clear: changes are happening at a rapid pace. And those who do not keep up with this transformation may fall behind.

College Diplomas May Lose Value With the Rise of AI — Expert Warns: The Market Will Leave Behind Those Who Don’t Take These Actions

With Artificial Intelligence Rapidly Changing Market Demands, Practical Skills Are More Valuable Than Academic Education.

Report Shows Change in Market Demands

More Opportunities for Those Without a Degree

Invest in Practical and Continuous Learning

Formal Education Still Has Its Value

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College Diplomas May Lose Value With the Rise of AI — Expert Warns: The Market Will Leave Behind Those Who Don’t Take These Actions

With Artificial Intelligence Rapidly Changing Market Demands, Practical Skills Are More Valuable Than Academic Education.

Report Shows Change in Market Demands

More Opportunities for Those Without a Degree

Invest in Practical and Continuous Learning

Formal Education Still Has Its Value

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Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

A public school student single-handedly created a machine capable of treating water for up to 50 people using only solar energy. It was awarded third place at one of the most important science fairs in the world.

Goodbye traditional washing machine: Panasonic surprises housewives with the NA-G5 featuring four drums, a 13 kg washer and dryer, a 12 kg dryer, independent mini washers, a heat pump, and a 4-in-1 system awarded at the German Design Award.

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