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The New Hottest College Major 🔥

AI isn’t just changing workplaces; it’s changing what students choose to study.

Across the US, Natasha Singer from The New York Times reports, a wave of new AI majors is drawing thousands of college students who want to understand, use, and help build the tech shaping the modern world.

Here’s what’s happening:

• Schools like USF, UC San Diego, and SUNY Buffalo have opened brand-new AI departments and degrees.

• MIT’s AI major is exploding in popularity. Its “AI and decision-making” degree has now become the second-most popular major on campus, right behind computer science.

• Students see AI as a career advantage. With companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft investing billions in AI, students want skills that match the jobs of the future.

Part of the shift comes from the tech industry itself. The traditional computer science pipeline isn’t the sure bet it used to be. Layoffs, hiring freezes, and AI coding tools have made entry-level jobs harder to land.

That uncertainty is pushing students toward more specialized AI degrees that combine technical training with real-world problem-solving and an understanding of how AI is reshaping society.

Even former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak says he’s preparing his teen daughters for a world where AI could replace many entry-level roles - urging them to build both AI literacy and timeless human traits. In his view, young people will soon be managing teams of AI agents while relying on empathy, curiosity, and critical thinking to stay competitive.

Up Next: AI Goes to Space 🧑‍🚀

Are we really about to build a data center in space?

Google has launched Project Suncatcher, an experiment to see whether running AI hardware in orbit could help solve one of tech’s biggest problems: power.

AI systems burn through massive amounts of electricity, and Earth’s data centers are struggling to keep pace. In 2023 alone, US data centers used more than 4% of the country’s electricity - a number that could triple to 12% by 2028. Google’s own energy use has doubled in just five years.

That’s why space suddenly looks attractive. Up there, sunlight is constant, solar power is never interrupted by clouds or weather, and the cold environment naturally cools hardware - perfect conditions for energy-hungry AI models.

To test the concept, Google and satellite firm Planet will launch two prototype satellites in 2027. If the hardware performs well, Google imagines a future where AI training happens using direct sunlight in orbit rather than relying on Earth’s already stressed electrical grid.

They’re not the only ones with eyes on the sky. Startups like Starcloud, backed by Y Combinator and Nvidia, have also sent AI satellites into space, betting that off-planet compute could cut emissions and lower costs over time.

And Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai says this won’t be science fiction for long; he believes that within a decade, building data centers in space could feel as normal as building them on land.

Wait, Are We All Filmmakers Now?

Runway just released Gen-4.5, its newest AI video model - and the internet is stunned at how realistic the clips look. Smoother motion, better physics, cleaner camera moves… it’s edging closer to footage you’d mistake for the real thing.

It’s a big deal: Runway is a tiny startup - roughly 150 employees and a few hundred million in funding. And it’s now outperforming giants OpenAI and Google, companies with thousands of employees and budgets in the tens of billions.

Some creators are excited about being able to create Hollywood-level movies on a laptop, while others worry about the speed at which AI video is becoming indistinguishable from reality - Avatar director James Cameron called generative AI “horrifying”.

What do you think?