Media Analysis: Humanities at Universities and the AI race

Original Article: We need humanities more than ever in the age of AI

Publisher: Financial Times

Author: Hetan Shah

Publication Date: 16th July 2026

Summary of the original article:

A recent Financial Times opinion article written by Hetan Shah, the chief executive of the British Academy (the UK's national academy for humanities and social sciences), argues that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence should not lead universities to neglect the humanities.

The article is particularly timely following recent reports by the South China Morning Post that China has withdrawn more than 12,000 university degree programmes over the past five years, many in subjects such as the humanities, arts and languages, while simultaneously introducing thousands of new programmes focused on artificial intelligence, robotics and other strategic technologies.

While China's reforms represent a deliberate government strategy to develop an AI-ready workforce, Hetan Shah describes a different challenge emerging in the United Kingdom. Rather than governments reducing humanities provision, it is students themselves who are increasingly turning away from these subjects. As he writes:

"My heart is heavy as I see the choice the UK is making on humanities. The number of students picking subjects such as literature, languages and history has been on a downward trend for years — both at school and in higher education."

The central argument is not that universities should resist AI, but that AI may actually increase the importance of the humanities. As artificial intelligence assumes a growing share of routine cognitive work, disciplines such as history, philosophy, literature and languages become increasingly valuable because they develop critical thinking, ethical reasoning, creativity and cultural understanding—qualities that remain fundamentally human.

The article also raises an important social concern. If humanities subjects continue to decline within publicly funded education, they may increasingly become the preserve of those from wealthier backgrounds, potentially widening educational and cultural inequalities.

Why it matters for A4-AI (Academics for AI):

Just days ago, A4-AI examined a news report from the South China Morning Post which reported on China's sweeping reform of university curricula, where thousands of degree programmes in subjects such as the humanities and languages were withdrawn while new programmes in artificial intelligence and other strategic technologies were introduced. That story illustrated one nation's strategic determination to reshape higher education in pursuit of an AI-powered economy.

The Financial Times opinion piece now provides an important counterpoint. And, taken together, the two articles illustrate one of the defining questions now facing higher education.

On one hand, universities are under increasing pressure to equip graduates with the AI skills demanded by employers, governments and industry. On the other, there is growing concern that the race to embrace AI could unintentionally weaken the very disciplines that develop the judgement, ethics, creativity and critical thinking needed to use AI responsibly.

This also returns us to a question raised in our previous article: Is China's approach a bold strategic move that will deliver a competitive advantage in the AI economy, or does it represent an overcorrection? And, even where governments are not driving such changes directly, could similar outcomes emerge simply because student demand shifts away from the humanities as they pivot towards courses they feel, right or wrongly, are better serving their employability prospects in the current and future workforce?

In such a scenario, the responsibility may increasingly fall to humanities educators to demonstrate the continuing relevance of their disciplines, as Hetan Shah seeks to do in his article.

Questions for Academia:

Are universities creating a false choice between AI capability and the humanities?

What balance should universities strike between developing technical AI capability and preserving the human skills that AI cannot easily replicate?

Could the drive for AI literacy unintentionally weaken the very qualities that graduates will need most in an AI-enabled world?

Read the original Financial Times opinion article by Hetan Shah.