Surgeon Laurent Alexandre and economist and university professor Olivier Babu have published a provocative book titled "Don't Study Anymore – Learn Differently in the Age of Artificial Intelligence." In it, the authors sound the alarm, warning of the imminent extinction of higher education in the face of the accelerating AI revolution.
📘 The Book's Bold Thesis
Traditional academic study, long considered the best investment for the future, has become "obsolete" or even "dead" in the authors' view—unless it undergoes a radical transformation.
🔍 Background of the Educational Crisis
Inadequate Systems :
Higher education is designed for a world that no longer exists. It is unable to keep pace with the speed of technological and social change.The Technological Gap :
Most universities do not integrate artificial intelligence into their curricula and fail to prepare students to complement or compete with machines.Degrees Without Value :
The authors describe some diplomas as "chocolate diplomas" —awarded after years of potentially unproductive study.🤖 The AI Revolution: A Paradigm Shift in Knowledge
Intelligence as a Free Commodity :
What once distinguished humans is now available to all, threatening the "aristocracy of talent" and forcing intellectual elites to redefine their value.Education's Alarming Lag :
While 86% of students use AI in their studies, only 61% of higher education institutions use it in teaching—often in a limited or moderate way.A Striking Example :
In England, 88% of students use ChatGPT in supervised written exams—and supervisors allow it!
🛠️ Solutions: How to Learn in the Future?
1. From Diplomas to Sustainable Competence
The shelf life of professional knowledge has shrunk from 30 years to just two .
We must shift from focusing on "academic degrees" to building "renewable competencies" through lifelong learning.
2. Human Skills That Machines Cannot Replicate
Building networks and relationships
Oral expression and communication
Caregiving and human-centered professions
Human trust and relational intuition
3. The Professor's New Role
From a lecturer in large halls to a personal coach and mentor working one-on-one with students.
4. Examinations Must Change
Ban AI in written exams.
Promote oral and practical assessments to measure real learning.
💡 Key Message: The New World Is Not for the Lazy
AI will not reduce work but will require greater effort and longer hours .
Success will demand a solid scientific foundation (like mathematics and computer science) + practical experience + continuous adaptability .
⚖️ The Required Balance: We Don't Reject Education, We Reshape It
The university remains essential because it imposes the discipline necessary for major research and theses.
The solution is not to abandon studies but to blend:
solid foundational knowledge
Flexible, continuous learning