Just as French aristocrats under the ancien regime could hardly imagine the abolition of their noble titles, most of today’s university leaders cannot conceive of a world in which the degrees they confer become worthless pieces of paper. The former were in for a rude awakening in 1790; the latter are barreling toward a similar shock. No longer a social service, education has become the new infrastructure of power. Whoever controls the development of technical talent controls the future.

Iryna Volnytska thinks successful universities will be AI-native institutions focused on converting knowledge into capability.

Just as French aristocrats under the ancien regime could hardly imagine the abolition of their noble titles, most of today’s university leaders cannot conceive of a world in which…