Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we learn, work, and engage with the world. So much so that the traditional path of higher education is beginning to feel outdated. In fact a former Google AI engineer believes that pursuing advanced degrees such as a PhD may no longer be the best choice right now. He argues that by the time someone will complete their doctorate, much of the knowledge they acquired could already be obsolete.

Jad Tarifi, who founded Google’s first generative AI team, argues that the pace at which AI is developing is making the pursuit of advanced academic degrees questionable. In a conversation with Business Insider, Tarifi warned that students and professionals considering a PhD simply to cash in on the AI hype should think again, as they are likely to be disappointed in the future. “AI itself is going to be gone by the time you finish a Ph.D.,” he said.

According to Tarifi, only those who are truly obsessed with research should attempt a PhD. And this advice comes from someone who has been through it himself. After completing his doctorate in AI at the University of Florida in 2012, Tarifi joined Google and spent nearly a decade working on AI projects. In 2021, he co-founded his own company, Integral AI. Looking back on his academic journey, Tarifi argues that doctoral studies can feel like sacrificing years of one’s life without keeping pace with how fast the field is moving.

He highlights the fact that robotics, drug discovery, and natural language systems are already advancing rapidly due to commercial labs and startups. And hence by the time fresh PhD students complete their dissertations and step into the AI workforce, the industry may well have moved on to something more advanced.

To keep up with this evolving world, Tarifi suggests that instead of committing to long academic programmes, aspiring technologists should explore niche areas where AI is still in its early stages, like biology. Or he suggests even bypassing the academic route altogether. He points out that someone can learn a lot more outside formal classrooms, where adaptability and hands-on experimentation are far more valuable. “You will move much faster. You’ll learn a lot more. You’ll be more adaptive to how things are changed,” he explained.

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