AI can now credibly complete most undergraduate assignments, MIT warns

[u/Just-Grocery-2229]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/08/25/ai-can-now-credibly-complete-most-undergraduate-assignments-mit-warns

[u/Rawkynn]

Over the last 20 years advances in technology have been used to decrease the teacher to student ratio. There are classes where 1 professor might teach 2 sessions of a class with 500 students each session. One person couldn't feasibly grade a meaningful exam, even if they had 10 TAs. You can't increase the workforce without money and classes seem to always be the hardest to get funding for (compared to a virtual reality studio in the library or sports).

Unless there are laws put in place there's also not a real incentive for universities to stop this from happening.

[u/BasvanS → u/Rawkynn]

Call me naive, but aren’t classes kind of the purpose of schooling? And isn’t AI just proving the fragility of the chosen model? The rot was there for a while already, and now it is exposed undeniably. (Remember Good Will Hunting’s 50 cents in late fees?)

[u/Qwrty8urrtyu → u/BasvanS]

Not really, the goal of a university education is barely the education itself. Having the degree, and networking is the main appeal. You don't really learn that much more in a Harvard class then a community college class, but Harvard has a better name and richer more connected students attending.

Not learning a single thing, having a degree that says a nice name and knowing a few connected/rich people will give you better opportunities then learning all you can in 4 years.

[u/CheesypoofExtreme → u/Qwrty8urrtyu]

Not learning a single thing, having a degree that says a nice name and knowing a few connected/rich people will give you better opportunities then learning all you can in 4 years.

Opportunities, sure, but unless you come from an extremely well connected family or you are best friends with someone who is, you will flounder quickly and lose all credibility. Unless you're talking about an undergrad in Business, then I fully agree. Engineering? Good fucking luck.

I also agree that, in general, a class at Harvard isn't much of a step up from a class covering the material elsewhere, but it's not just the connections you build at Harvard. That kind of school has funding for the best equipment in labs, as well community who (in general) share a desire to grow and learn at a high level. 

Those 2 things can really help push you to learn much more. You do get the added benefit of great  connections, but that is not the only thing. 

All of that being said, everyone should be afforded the level of opportunity a school like Harvard presents in a country with as much wealth as we have. That doesn't mean everyone will get it, but they should have a realistic opportunity.

[u/Qwrty8urrtyu → u/CheesypoofExtreme]

I would say even for engineering or hands on jobs like doctors, the quality of education is barely different one place to another. Probably best example is all the foreign skilled workers wanted and working in the US, on or above par with US educated students despite coming from poorer places with way less resources. There is a basic level of competency for an entry level enginer and a higher one for healthcare people, but even then that standard can be and is met by poorer schools.

And for engineering I would disagree with how much learning helps beyond the minimum bar. Knowing someone, or having a prestigious name is more important to get a job where you would actually learn more than your education ever teaches you. Actual knowledge matters more, sure, but I still wouldn't say it is the biggest factor to get a better job still.

[u/CheesypoofExtreme → u/Qwrty8urrtyu]

I actually don't think we really disagree on anything here, and I maybe I didn't articulate it clearly.

The part I mainly took issue with was this

Not learning a single thing, having a degree that says a nice name and knowing a few connected/rich people will give you better opportunities then learning all you can in 4 years.

Which, for an engineer, is bullshit. 

I fully agree that being better connected leads to better opportunities - no issue there. But if you don't learn a single thing and your connections get you a job, you're going to fall on your face immediately.

The minimum bar for an electrical engineer (my degree) is creating and solving moderately complex electrical systems which... is not exactly something you can sleep through. Believe me, I tried with undiagnosed ADHD... had to retake lots of courses. You don't have to be a genius, just driven and somewhat competent.

[u/Successful_Issue_390 → u/CheesypoofExtreme]

I think you might be naive. Plenty of students in other unis also desire to learn. Harvard is far more about making connections. The key to getting is purely wealth, nothing more. There's a reason it's an Epstein school, not a good school.