A.I & University: What could the future look like?

AI is developing at a rapid pace and doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.

As University students, AI has become a huge part of our world. Chat GPT and other AI-based software have become tools to help assist with assignments or, in some cases, do a whole thing.

With the ever-growing nature of the technological industry and AI, education providers are forced to accommodate the sudden breakthroughs seemingly occurring every week.

In November last year, the New Zealand Herald reported enrolments for AI-related degrees were on the rise across Aotearoa. My first thought when reading this was, there are AI degrees at university?

As someone who mainly uses his computer for writing silly little articles and watching YouTube, it should come as no surprise that my knowledge of anything computer-related isn’t large.

However, upon further research, I discovered that AI-based courses and qualifications have been around for years.

UC has offered a Master of Artificial Intelligence for nearly three years now, as a postgraduate pathway for computer science and software engineering students.

PHOTO: Unsplash

Zack Waite is currently in the final year of his software engineering degree and has completed multiple AI-related courses throughout his degree, along with interning at an industry company as an AI researcher.

Waite believes AI-related courses are beneficial for students but said how they are delivered is the most crucial aspect.

“The courses can’t be cautions on AI, it’s got to be delivered with evidence-based arguments or general industry skill-building.”

“There are aspects of data privacy which is definitely something that is concerning in terms of the amount of data it can take in and remember, but I’m an optimist towards AI, in the way that it can refine repetitive processes and help with those tasks.”

PHOTO: Unsplash

For students, AI has become a go-to tool to help with those repetitive tasks. Simplifying data, summarising readings and creating ideas for sentence starters are all things AI can do within seconds, but on a much larger scale, AI can refine tasks within significant industries.

The growing narrative around AI typically points out jobs will be taken away and certain industries are ‘doomed’, but as AI continues to grow, so do job opportunities.

Throughout history industry employment has fluctuated based on the demands of the time. Being a blacksmith a couple of hundred years ago would have been quite a lucrative trade, nowadays not so much.

With AI growing, the demand for more jobs and university qualifications will also grow.

Based on numbers reported in the Herald, enrolment numbers for the first-year introduction course on AI at Victoria University of Wellington rose by 50% in 2024.

Closer to home, the leader of UC’s Masters of Artificial Intelligence, Professor Richard Green, told the Herald due to the growth of the technology industry, many students realised how many opportunities are available in the AI space.

So, what does the future look like? To be honest, I have no clue.

It’s fair to say as AI continues to develop, courses and qualifications at universities will inevitably grow alongside it, and in turn so will the industry.

The potential for new and unique study and career opportunities gives a lot of reason to be excited about the future. But I’m also not going to pretend that I’m not worried about the potential for the world to turn into a real-life version of I, Robot.

With all this talk about AI, I thought it would be fitting to ask Chat GPT what it thought of the potential of AI-related study at university and what it could mean for the future.

This is what it came back with.

“AI-related study at university is becoming essential as artificial intelligence reshapes industries, economies, and everyday life. Universities that offer strong AI programs are not just preparing students for tech jobs—they're equipping them to drive innovation in healthcare, finance, education, and beyond. The future impact is twofold: first, AI graduates will play a key role in advancing the technology itself, making it more ethical, efficient, and accessible. Second, AI literacy will become a crucial skill across all disciplines, ensuring that future leaders understand both its potential and its risks. Universities that embrace AI education today are shaping the workforce and society of tomorrow”.