The surprising new college major that really shouldn’t surprise you

Engineers at OpenAI, the powerhouse behind ChatGPT and the newly viral Sora, have been recently reported to earn $800,000 per year.

Yep. That’s an eight with five zeros behind it. 🤯

Turns out, most salary reports don’t include perks like bonuses or stock awards, so average salaries have been dramatically underreported in the AI industry up until now.

So why do they earn so much?

Because AI talent is their scarcest resource, so they’re keeping those folks happy little clams. 

While those salaries will likely come down as more AI talent gets trained up and enters the workforce, it’s still going to be a lucrative career for many years to come.

Universities are noticing…

Universities are often criticized for their slow and antiquated approach to developing degree programs that train students for in-demand jobs.

But three universities (including one Ivy league school) have developed full degree programs in AI, and I think that rocks. 👊

Here’s what you need to know:

🎓 Carnegie Mellon University: B.S. in Artificial Intelligence

Perhaps unsurprisingly given that Carnegie Mellon’s world renowned School of Computer Science is consistently ranked as one of the top programs in the country, they’ve offered a B.S. in AI since 2018!

• Your kid needs to be accepted into the School of Computer Science first.

• An AI major can be declared in year 2.

• They also offer an AI minor, and a master’s in AI.

🎓 Purdue University: B.A. in Artificial Intelligence

Unlike Carnegie Mellon’s program, Purdue approaches AI from a blended angle with both computer science and philosophy, not only training students in programming, but also the “central ethical and epistemological issues confronting big data”.

• The program requires 24 credit hours in philosophy, and 15 credit hours in computer science.

• Students have access to Purdue’s new Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence Lab.

🎓 University of Pennsylvania: B.S.E. in Artificial Intelligence

UPenn is the first Ivy out of the gate to announce a degree in AI under its engineering school, just two weeks ago.

It will offer high-level coursework in topics including machine learning, computing algorithms, data analytics, and advanced robotics.

• The application window for the Fall 2025 launch will be announced soon.

• Strong preparation in math is vital for entry into Penn’s engineering program.
  
  

What can your kid do to prepare for an AI degree program?

Here’s what I love about the three AI degree programs that have been announced so far:

They’re all different.

Carnegie Mellon is focused on the computer science aspect, UPenn is heavy on the engineering side, and Purdue concentrates on the broader ethical and philosophical impact. 

This means that there’s a wide range of talents and interests that fall into a career in AI.

Here are three things your kid can do now to stand out when it’s time to apply.

1. Start an AI-powered business

2. Use AI to push social improvement forward

3. Become a thought-leader on AI by publishing online

Notice how none of these involve packed classes or relentless extracurriculars.

It’s all about creating something.

So get your kid out there experimenting and creating with AI. 👊