Why AI Disruption to Entry Level Jobs is Making Schools Rethink What They Teach

16 hours ago
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An economics professor in an interview this week talked about accounting firms that were no longer hiring accounting majors, but rather philosophy and history majors. AI has made the mechanics of accounting obsolete because there’s no longer a need to do calculations by hand. Instead, businesses are hiring people who can reason and think critically.

For years, when someone asked me what I taught I’d say Journalism and cinema, “but what I really teach is philosophy and ethical decisionmaking.” I wasn’t being facetious. Yes, I taught students the technique of operating cameras and editing software, and the technique of grammar and writing, and the technique of statistical analysis, image and sound design. But so what?

The problem we face is not the disruptive technology of AI, but our original relationship to, and perhaps over reliance on, the mechanics of our profession as a way to define our careers and our identities. The solution to the problem is to rely less on the tools and systems of how you do something (which constantly changes) and instead focus on why you do something.

We should also frame our work and professions as something bigger and more important than just personal satisfaction and gain, because when we think of doing labor in the service of others, it lifts the burden a bit and maybe makes it a little easier to embrace change–its less tied to our identities. The displaced accountants, for example, can have more time that they once spent solving equations and data analysis on figuring out bigger systemic challenges and policies.

It's more complicated than this, of course, but if we're going to adapt and thrive, we need to let go of processes that no longer work, and have had many limitations even before AI broke them.

So what does this mean for schools, like the university where that economics professor teaches, who are built to a large degree around teaching mechanics and adherence to systems?

I put some of this thinking down on paper and published a playbook for teachers about how to adapt and thrive in the age of AI, along with lesson plans, examples from real classrooms, case studies, and practical advice about how to put these ideas into action.

But it only works if we put aside the mindset that mastering technical skills is the main point of learning. What is this all for? What is the purpose? How does this help anyone?

The future of learning is authentic.

Michael Hernandez is the author of Storytelling With Purpose: Digital Projects To Ignite Student Curiosity, helping educators and organizations adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world, developing authentic, student-centered learning experiences that strengthen digital and civic literacy, and design innovative curriculum with a global mindset. This piece was originally posted February 6, 2026 and is cross-posted here with permission. You can contact Michael here.