What Does AI Cost When We Skip the Work?
This Week with EdSurge podcast examines what holds up when artificial intelligence moves fast.
July 22, 2026

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Every few months, another headline declares the college degree dead. This Week with EdSurge examines what still holds up when artificial intelligence moves fast, through two guests who are both defending something slow against something fast.
A Four Year Degree in the Age of AI
Rita Finkel, co-president of the Armory Foundation and director of the Armory College Prep program, argues that a college degree was never just about a technical skill. She says the data tells a different story than the headlines suggest, and that the value of a degree comes from something artificial intelligence cannot replicate.
The Fourth Essay
Cobretti Williams of the EdSurge Voices of Change Fellowship makes a similar case for writing. He talks about the beauty in imperfection, and how a fellow's fourth essay reads nothing like the first, growth that only comes from doing the work yourself.
Stories Mentioned in This Episode
Why College Degrees Matter in the Age of AI
by Rita Finkel
EdSurge Voices of Change Writing Fellowship
by EdSurge
This Week with EdSurge is a weekly podcast from EdSurge. Subscribe to the EdSurge newsletters for more news and analysis on education and technology.
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