Massive Major Cuts at Prestigious Universities Cause Shock... Novices Unable to Land First Jobs, Veterans Forced Out of "Dream Careers" [Sisasyo]

'AI Job Shock' Intensifies
Over 1,400 Majors Abolished Across China
Unmanned Factory Systems and 'Black Factories' on the Rise

■ Broadcast: 'So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show' by The Asia Business Daily

■ Host: Political Specialist Jongseop So

■ Producer: PD Ma Yena

■ Guest: Reporter Lee Hyunwoo

AFP Yonhap News Agency

Chuanmei University, a prestigious media university directly under China's Ministry of Education, has announced the abolition of 16 undergraduate majors, sending shockwaves through Chinese society. As concerns about job losses due to the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology become a reality, these effects are now manifesting in the field of education.

China's Ministry of Education Restructures Majors Replaceable by AI... "An Era of Division of Labor with Robots"

Chuanmei University has produced the majority of professionals in China's broadcasting industry, with many famous anchors and hosts from major broadcasters being alumni of this school. Liao Xiangzhong, the party secretary and policy administrator of the university, stated in a recent interview, "We have boldly eliminated majors that are being replaced by AI," emphasizing, "We are now at the threshold of educational reform as humans and robots will need to divide labor in the future." These remarks have spread rapidly on social media, sparking strong backlash from Chinese youth who are already struggling with severe job shortages.

The abolished majors are mainly concentrated in media production fields such as filming, dubbing, subtitle editing, and translation. In the early days of AI, frequent errors required human correction, but now, as AI surpasses human accuracy by a wide margin, there is an assessment that even the need for human correction has disappeared.

This elimination of majors is not unique to this university. Since 2023, China's Ministry of Education and related departments have issued nationwide guidelines requiring all universities to abolish majors that are replaceable by AI or made obsolete by new technology-driven management methods. As a result, since 2024, a total of 1,428 majors have been abolished across universities in China, and 2,220 departments have stopped recruiting new students.

In contrast, only 1,839 new majors were established in line with the development of AI technology. As a result, anxiety is rapidly spreading among Chinese students that even a diploma from a prestigious university may not guarantee employment in the future.

US Big Tech Companies Also Lay Off 120,000 Programmers... Mass Layoffs Among Wall Street Analysts

Reuters Yonhap News

The threat of job loss from AI is not limited to China. In the United States last year, major big tech companies laid off 120,000 programmers and reduced new recruitment by over 25%. As AI takes over tasks such as data collection, editing, and coding—roles typically handled by entry-level employees—companies no longer see the need to hire junior staff.

The software engineering sector, once considered a promising profession on par with doctors and lawyers and the subject of fierce recruitment battles, is rapidly shrinking. Most support staff outside specialized areas have been let go, and recent college graduates are finding it difficult to secure even their first jobs to start their careers.

The financial sector is no exception. Many investment analysts—formerly symbols of high-income jobs on Wall Street—are disappearing. AI is now handling portfolio construction, report writing, and basic data processing, leading to a sharp decline in new hires. While industrial robots previously threatened mainly blue-collar jobs, the current wave of AI is encroaching on white-collar, highly educated professions as well, making the impact even more severe.

The transformation in the manufacturing sector is even more dramatic. Humanoid robots such as Hyundai Motor's "Atlas," Tesla's "Optimus," and "Figure" from Figure AI in the United States are moving beyond the prototype stage and are on the verge of commercial deployment. The key advantage—and critical threat to jobs—is that these robots can be deployed in existing workplaces without the need for infrastructure modifications, taking over tasks previously performed by humans.

Some factories in China have already begun operating without a single employee. With no humans inside, there is no need to turn on the lights, so only machines run in complete darkness—hence the name "Black Factory." Experts warn that if these types of factories become widespread, manufacturing jobs will rapidly disappear, making unemployment a central social conflict issue.

'AGI Era' in 5 to 10 Years... Warnings of a 'Techno-Feudalism' Future

AP Yonhap News

Experts say the current shock is just the beginning. Today's AI is mainly a tool that assists with basic tasks in specific fields, so its impact is limited. However, if Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—expected to emerge within the next 5 to 10 years—is developed, the situation will change drastically.

AGI is a form of AI that can learn autonomously, apply knowledge, and carry out a wide range of tasks independently. It is feared that AGI could replace nearly all types of jobs, not just those in specific fields. If this is combined with the advancement of humanoid robot technology, a scenario in which robots perform most human tasks could become reality.

In response, academia is paying close attention to the concept of "Techno-Feudalism." This refers to a social structure where robots become the main agents of economic activity, and humans receive basic income from corporations or the state—a society reminiscent of ancient Roman citizens enjoying gladiator games. In fact, discussions on introducing a basic income system are gaining momentum, especially among major US tech companies.

However, concerns about such a future are also growing. There is increasing anxiety about the fundamental disruption of education and career paths for younger generations, and uncertainty about how the very structure of democratic societies might change. In Korea, statistics now show that more than 700,000 people in their 20s are in a "resting" status, having given up on seeking employment, indicating that AI-driven job shocks are already becoming a reality.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.