Majors in the Age of AI – How Are Fields of Study Evolving?

In April 2025, Fortune magazine reported that nearly half (45%) of Gen Z feel that AI has made their degree “irrelevant”: “Nearly half of Gen Z and millennials say college was a waste of money—AI has already made degrees obsolete.” 

That statistic can feel unsettling, especially if you’re in the middle of choosing a major. But it’s not a verdict, and it’s not the whole story. While the rapid rise of generative AI may cause uncertainty, it also brings new opportunities. Higher education, especially fields within STEM and the arts, is being reshaped by large language models (LLMs) and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). 

When choosing a major, the existence and impact of new technologies will inevitably factor into your decision. Some questions you may ponder include: 

• Is this field still important? 
• Will I be ready for a job? 
• What are my chances for employment after graduation? 

Here’s how key fields of study are evolving and adapting in the face of LLMs and GenAI—and what that means for students

Healthcare 

A large-scale 2024 study found that members of Gen Z are increasingly drawn to healthcare careers over major tech jobs (Google, Amazon, and Apple). Teens cited healthcare/health-related issues as the most important factor influencing their career decisions. Jobs such as doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, and social service workers value tangible, meaningful, and very human-oriented work — a refreshing option in the face of a culture so focused on the digital landscape. 

Because healthcare is human-centric, the integration of AI may feel more balanced. There are already game-changing applications of AI in healthcare, such as improved diagnostic and screening capabilities, enhanced patient engagement and interaction, and more supportive administrative and operational workflows. Thanks to advanced simulation modeling, diagnostic, and predictive capabilities, students in the classroom and the laboratory can be immersed in precise, realistic, and individualized medical situations to prepare them for the patients they’ll work with.

Technology 

Once viewed as the ultimate career destination, the tech industry is losing some of its appeal with younger people, with worries about losing jobs to AI and automation. However, it remains a promising and profitable career choice. For instance, in the same study, engineering remained a top major among students. 

Even as AI automates many STEM fields (such as coding and data analysis), we need human oversight and innovation more than ever. Learning to effectively interpret AI output in robotics, data science, mathematics, or cybersecurity is a crucial skill as these fields evolve. 

While the tech career landscape has transformed, contrary to what many believe, available positions haven’t disappeared. Instead, they’ve evolved, dispersing across new sectors. Michigan Tech University takes an opportunity-driven approach, stressing that “hybrid” tech careers, where you blend tech skills with other subjects, are booming and perhaps more valuable than ever. 

There is a growing, urgent need for human insight to serve as the ethical compass for GenAI, especially as the technology crosses into other disciplines. What would a hybrid position that intersected biosciences and machine learning look like? Design marketing and prompt engineering? Content generation and art or music? The possibilities are endless!

Humanities 

More than ever, studying the humanities is framed as a vulnerable pursuit in a technologically dominated society. However, the introduction of GenAI and LLMs has only heightened the relevance of disciplines such as art, philosophy, anthropology, history, and literature. Students interested in pursuing a humanities major can now find themselves at the center of conversations about authorship, creative ethics, and the preservation of human values in increasingly algorithmic environments.

While GenAI transforms the way writing, research, and translations are done, it has also proven to be a powerful tool for textual analysis, archival work, and data interpretation — all important to studying in the humanities. Amidst AI integration, a 2024 report from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences noted that humanities graduates also continue to be valued for skills in research, communication, and ethical reasoning. 

Such abilities are increasingly necessary as organizations grapple with AI’s impact on society. As tech companies and policy organizations search for graduates who can help shape responsible AI governance, humanities majors may find more pathways opening — not fewer. At this moment, students have a valuable opportunity to rethink what it means to produce original, valuable work. 

At the heart of this project is the question that has always guided the humanities, and which now seems more acute than ever: what does it actually mean to be human? 

Education 

For education majors, AI literacy is a professional necessity. Educators increasingly use AI tools for lesson planning, personalized instruction, and multilingual support. A June 2025 Gallup poll found that six in ten U.S. K-12 teachers already use AI tools in their classrooms, with three in ten teachers using them weekly.

Given that most students use AI daily, future teachers must cultivate critical thinking and teach constructive, healthy AI usage. Instead of replacing teachers, GenAI underscores the need for educators who can guide students through the complexities of digital technology with empathy, discernment, creativity, and cultural competence.

Even as AI integrates into the classroom, education majors can assure themselves that the core of teaching, guidance, and mentorship is the transfer of knowledge between humans, which can never be fully automated. By learning to use new tools, education majors are actively shaping the future of pedagogical philosophies in education. 

So…Is College Still Worth It in the Age of AI?

Yes, but differently than before. As AI evolves, students might feel pressured to choose “safe” majors or question the value of college altogether, but every field can still thrive. The key is intentionality and adaptability.

Majors are still important, though they are less career-determining than they were before. The future favors hybrid, holistic work across boundaries, demanding curiosity and flexibility. Success goes to students who blend their discipline with technological literacy—using college to develop the critical-thinking skills and perspective that AI can’t replace.

 

About the Author

Madison Zuñiga is a recent graduate of Concordia University Irvine, where she earned degrees in creative writing and studio arts. During her time at university, she guided fellow students through the writing process in the on-campus writing studio. Madison was also a young writer on Write the World, where she deeply valued the global connections it fostered and the opportunity to engage with diverse perspectives. She now serves as a College Essay Reviewer for Write the World, where she’s passionate about helping young writers find and communicate their unique narratives during the college essay process. Madison enjoys supporting others in expressing their experiences and is excited to continue offering meaningful guidance to students in their writing journeys.