Why the liberal arts can help young Americans prepare for the era of AI

Computer science is out on U.S. college campuses, while the new "new" things — faculties like critical thinking and communication — may have a familiar ring.

The advent of artificial intelligence is giving a new shine to a liberal arts education, which career experts say nurtures the skills valued by employers as AI increasingly changes the workplace.

"Artificial intelligence is coming after IQ, not EQ," said entrepreneur Arun Gupta, CEO of NobleReach Foundation, an organization that recruits people to the public sector, using the shorthand for "emotional quotient" — the kind of intelligence, social awareness and reasoning abilities that help organizations tick.

For young Americans pondering the best educational and professional path, the stakes are high as AI increasingly impacts the job market. Pursuing a traditional liberal arts education will position graduates for success as AI diffuses across industries and professions, Gupta said.

AI "can automate the financial or computer science skill, but EQ — the understanding of the problem — is the human dynamic," he added.

Christopher Rim, founder and CEO of Command Education, a New York City company that helps advise high school students and their families on the college admissions process, said that creativity — along with creative problem-solving — helps set graduates apart from their peers.

"What employers will increasingly be looking for are people who can think laterally, challenge assumptions and bring a perspective that can't be generated by a [large language model]," he told CBS News. "As AI becomes more capable of handling technical execution, raw technical knowledge becomes less of a differentiating quality on its own."

Skills that companies will value "are, somewhat ironically, the cornerstones of a liberal arts education," Rim noted.

By contrast, some of the career-focused hard skills that many college students learn could have less value in the labor market as AI advances, especially for tasks that would've once been performed by younger employees, according to experts.

As a result, what undergraduates should focus on is "learning how to learn," said Rebecca Taber Staehelin, co-founder and co-CEO of Merit America, a nonprofit that helps train low-wage workers for higher-paying roles.

"It's less important that you know how to do every technical aspect of a job than it is to understand the principles of the industry, how to build relationships, communicate well and manage conflict," she added. "Individuals with those general muscles are better able to adapt and thrive versus a one-trick pony who says, 'I know how to code in Java, and if that Java coding job goes away, I am up a creek.'"

Unlike previous generations of Americans, workers entering the labor market today should also expect to have several careers, involving a range of jobs and skills, rather than pursuing a narrower professional track. Versatility will be key.

"It is highly likely that graduates entering the workforce will not land a job that is squarely in their intended field or desired position," Rim told CBS News. "As such, it is important that students leverage their coursework to show future employers that they are adaptable and multi-talented."

"The goal isn't to find a major that AI isn't going to affect, because no major will be completely protected from technological change," added Michael Itzkowitz, founder and president of the HEA Group, an organization focused on college access and economic mobility.

For students entering college, Itzkowitz recommends focusing on developing "communication, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills," while also learning how to exercise sound judgment — another deeply human skill that he said AI can't replace.

"It's about finding a college program that helps students build skills that will remain valuable as tech changes," he said. "With AI doing the hardcore technical work, other skill sets may be increasingly more valuable."