[Answer] If You Were a Student or Parent, Would You Apply for an Artificial Intelligence Major? How Do You View the Career Prospects of Majoring Purely in “Artificial Intelligence”?

[Answer] If You Were a Student or Parent, Would You Apply for an Artificial Intelligence Major? How Do You View the Career Prospects of Majoring Purely in “Artificial Intelligence”?

There is no such thing as AI for AI’s sake. Like automation and computer science, artificial intelligence is ultimately just a means and a tool. At its core, it still needs to be combined with relevant disciplines. The first step in any AI project is to sort out the domain direction and actual needs, so AI is unlikely to exist meaningfully in isolation from demand.

From a strategic perspective, it does make sense for universities to establish AI majors. This can help advance the field in a more systematic and structured way. But what deserves scrutiny is whether, for such an emerging industry, the often lagging teaching systems of universities can really keep pace. Do they truly have solid accumulation in faculty and curriculum design, or is AI merely being used as a gimmick and selling point? I believe that among these 33 universities, there must be a real mix of quality.

That means applicants need to be selective. This kind of selection should include research strength, faculty quality, and industry influence, among other factors. For universities with real capabilities, applying for an AI major is certainly worthwhile.

(I have not read the official higher-education curriculum guidelines for AI, so the following is purely speculative.) At the undergraduate level, the basic foundations in mathematics, physics, and other fundamental sciences presumably will not be neglected. An AI major is likely built on the foundation of computer science, but with a stronger orientation toward artificial intelligence. That would be a good thing—it would amount to a more specialized and deepened version of a computer science program.

However, for average universities, I think studying computer science is already sufficient. There is no need to pursue AI simply for the sake of AI.