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Jad Tarifi, founding member of Google’s first generative AI team, recently warned in Business Insider that chasing a PhD in AI today might be futile—because AI is evolving faster than academic programs can keep up. He advises focusing on niche, real-world applications instead. Business Insider
1. The PhD—A Luxurious Misfire in a Fast-Paced World
Tarifi bluntly states: “AI itself is going to be gone by the time you finish a PhD.” In other words, when you finally earn that doctorate, the field will have shifted. Not because you learned poorly, but because the world is simply moving too fast.
2. Filipinos Feel It Deeply
- From provincial students chasing scarce slots in Pinoy universities to those overseas tearing through textbooks—this advice stings. Many believe a degree is the golden ticket out of hardship.
- But with AI advancing, traditional education risks becoming a slow hand cart in a race where rockets rule.
Check this out: In our article Is College Still Worth It? What Gen-Z Tech Founders and Filipino Learners Are Starting to Believe, we explored how local learners increasingly choose startups and self-taught paths over diplomas.
3. Real-World Skills Trump Fancy Titles
Tarifi recommends real, imperfect learning—like AI for biology. We echo that in How to Beat AI for Finance Jobs When You’re Just a Grad with 0: show practical skills, not titles.
4. Structural Failure in Education
Whether it’s overpriced PhDs or obsolete lectures, our article Ghost Graduates: The Future of Work & Education in the Philippines talks about how many grads end up invisible in the job market. Tarifi’s view just adds fuel to that fire.
5. Better to Think, Adapt, and Pivot
Tarifi doesn’t diminish scholarly depths—if you’re “obsessed,” go for it. But if you’re unsure, he says, default to no, live in the world, pivot fast, learn emotionally intelligent skills, build humans-over-degrees resilience.
That aligns with our critique in Failure by Design: AI in the Philippines—where we stress that repeating outdated pathways traps us in systemic failure.
6. Filipino Takeaway
If AI is redefining futures faster than we can register degrees, then survival isn’t in schooling—it’s in adaptability. It’s in learning to unlearn, to hustle, to self-train, and to build value humans still provide better than machines.
7. Too Cryptic, Explain Like I’m 12
Okay, imagine this: you spend years building the best toy robot ever, but by the time you finish, all the other kids have moved on to flying drones. Your robot is still cool, but it’s outdated.
That’s what Tarifi is saying about PhDs in AI. By the time you finish studying, the tech has already changed. So instead of spending forever in the classroom, learn quickly, play with real tools now, and adapt as things change.
Conclusion – Rethink the Road
A PhD may still mean prestige—but if prestige comes at the cost of relevance, what’s the point? In this AI age, your mindset, your adaptability, and your real-world impact matter far more than a title on paper.
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