This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Nsoro Allan
Hey, tech enthusiasts and curious minds, picture this: Elite campuses like Harvard and MIT are buzzing not with excitement but with concern. Students are hitting pause on their degrees, frightened by AI’s rapid rise or drawn in by its opportunities. This isn’t just a trend; it’s a wake-up call that combines existential worry, career considerations, and entrepreneurial spirit. Let’s explore the data, stories, and tech realities behind this shift while keeping it real and relatable.
AGI on the Horizon: The Tech Trigger
Leading experts at OpenAI and Google DeepMind are revealing big news; AI achieving human-level intelligence (AGI) could happen before 2030. DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis and Sergey Brin attribute this to increasing computing power and model scaling. Their extensive 145-page report outlines paths to AGI, warning of risks like goal misalignment that could lead to significant societal harm.
Technically, AGI refers to machines performing any intellectual task we assign to them, potentially self-upgrading in ways that surpass human capability. Expert surveys from groups like 80,000 Hours suggest a median chance by 2060, but those on the cutting edge think it could happen sooner, as data and hardware challenges may be resolved by the end of this decade. For students, this isn’t fiction; it’s a disruptor threatening their dream jobs in coding, research, and more.
Despite the warnings, there’s some optimism: AI could become a tool to significantly support humanity if we manage it wisely.
Dread or Drive: The Human Side of the Split
Meet Alice Blair, a former MIT student who left in 2023, worried that AGI might change the landscape before she could finish her degree. “I might not live long enough to graduate,” she said, now working at the Center for AI Safety on risk management no regrets, no plans to go back.
It’s not all about fear of disaster. Harvard surveys reveal that half of undergraduates are anxious about AI taking away their career prospects and are eager for more classes to help them shift roles. As Nikola Jurković, a former Harvard AI safety lead, puts it, “If automation affects your field soon, school is just postponing your real work.” Consider data analysis or basic development tasks; AI is already taking those roles, as Indeed reports show that Gen Z doubts the value of degrees amidst job losses.
This situation rings true: High tuition fees combined with AI’s appetite for jobs leave many feeling trapped. But it’s also motivational pushing individuals to adapt early, merging fear with foresight.
Opportunity Knocks: The Hustle Heroes
On a different note, some dropouts are turning their fears into successes. Michael Tuell, known as Truell, left MIT to create Anysphere’s Cursor, an AI coding tool now worth billions. Brendan Foody dropped out of Georgetown to start Mercor, an AI hiring platform valued at $2 billion, serving major tech companies.
Jared Manter captures the spirit: “There’s a short window to influence AI got to act fast.” San Francisco is bustling with these twenty-somethings, echoing the paths of dropouts like Sam Altman. Platforms like Botpool are their arenas, turning skills into freelance success.
These stories make the hustle relatable they’re not prodigies, just proactive individuals trading classes for startups, proving that timing can be more important than textbooks in the rapidly changing world of AI.
Bigger Picture: Shaking Up Schools and Society
This isn’t just a campus phenomenon; enrollments are plummeting to levels not seen since the pandemic, with more than half of Americans questioning the value of college. Schools like Harvard are increasing their focus on AI ethics, but they’re lagging behind the pace of tech progress.
Socially, the implications are mixed: while innovation in safety is increasing, there’s a risk of inequality if only the bold succeed. Analysts caution that AI is eating up entry-level jobs, turning graduates into “AI assistants” without proper training. Possible solutions include flexible education, universal AI literacy, and safety nets for economic shifts.
Final Byte: Navigate or Get Nuked?
From fear to motivation, these dropouts highlight the human aspect of AI uncertainty meets opportunity. Is AGI by 2030 possible? Yes. Is it a threat? It needs to be monitored. If you’re considering your options, ask yourself: Does school inspire you, or could you channel that energy elsewhere? Stay alert, remain human, and perhaps delve into a side project. The machines are on their way will you lead the charge or stand back?
References
Forbes: Fear Of AGI Is Driving Harvard And MIT Students To Drop Out – https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriafeng/2025/08/06/fear-of-super-intelligent-ai-is-driving-harvard-and-mit-students-to-drop-out/
Interesting Engineering: Why an MIT student quit college over AGI fear – https://interestingengineering.com/culture/mit-student-drops-out-fearing-agi
Futurism: MIT Student Drops Out Because She Says AGI Will Kill Everyone – https://futurism.com/mit-student-drops-out-ai-extinction
arXiv: Harvard Undergraduate Survey on Generative AI – https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.00833
CNBC: Mercor CEO Brendan Foody on $2 billion valuation – https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/02/20/mercor-ceo-brendan-foody-on-2-billion-valuation-streamlining-hiring-with-ai.html
Fortune: Google DeepMind 145-page paper predicts AGI will match human intelligence by 2030 – https://fortune.com/2025/04/04/google-deeepmind-agi-ai-2030-risk-destroy-humanity/
Axios: Google leaders Hassabis, Brin see AGI arriving around 2030 – https://www.axios.com/2025/05/21/google-sergey-brin-demis-hassabis-agi-2030
80,000 Hours: The case for AGI by 2030 – https://80000hours.org/agi/guide/when-will-agi-arrive/
NYTimes: The 20-Somethings Are Swarming San Francisco’s A.I. Boom – https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/technology/ai-young-ceos-san-francisco.html
X Post by Rohan Paul: Harvard and MIT students leaving over AI fears – https://x.com/rohanpaul_ai/status/1953339422075670692
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Nsoro Allan