ChatGPT's Deep Research just identified 20 jobs it will replace. Is yours on the list? - Sabrina Ortiz, ZDnet

Min Choi, an X user whose account is dedicated to sharing informational AI content, asked Deep Research to "List 20 jobs that OpenAI o3 reasoning model will replace huma n with into a table format ordered by probability. Columns are Rank, Job, Why Better Than Human, Probability." Choi then shared the results of the chat via an X post, which has since garnered 984,000 views:

https://chatgpt.com/share/67a17688-7dbc-8013-b843-9812b97b6c83

https://www.zdnet.com/article/chatgpts-deep-research-just-identified-20-jobs-it-will-replace-is-yours-on-the-list/

The CEO as elite athlete: What business leaders can learn from modern sports - McKinsey

The development of sports technology and sports science—new ideas in nutrition, recovery, in-game strategy, coaching, athletic techniques, you name it—means that today’s athletes are unquestionably better than those from even 25 years ago. For today’s chief executive officers, there’s a lot to learn from that remarkable progress. And the need is urgent, primarily because the playing field has become radically more difficult. CEOs are on the job 24/7, responsible for addressing an ever-shifting array of problems and threats, even when there is incomplete information (usually) and when every move is under scrutiny (constantly). Not only do CEOs have to deal with a wide range of stakeholders, all of them with their own priorities, but employees are increasingly demanding—as they should be. Plus, technology is changing at warp speed, and the geopolitical environment is unsettled. When companies slip up, they are judged harshly, not least through social media.

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-ceo-as-elite-athlete-what-business-leaders-can-learn-from-modern-sports

The Industry Reacts to OpenAI's Deep Research - "Hard Takeoff" - Matthew Berman, YouTube

Matthew Berman responds to the release of OpenAI's "Deep Research." Generalized PhD: Deep Research's performance on STEM benchmarks surpasses that of human PhDs, demonstrating the potential for AI to outperform humans in specialized fields. Economic Impact: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, estimates that Deep Research can already accomplish a single-digit percentage of all economically valuable tasks in the world. Game Changer for Research: Deep Research is being used in various fields, including medicine, to assist with research, publishing, and even patient care. Google's Response: Google employees have expressed surprise and amusement at OpenAI's decision to name their product Deep Research, which is the same name as Google's research product. Overall, the podcast conveys a sense of excitement and urgency about the rapid advancements in AI and the potential impact on society. Berman emphasizes the importance of understanding and adapting to these changes as AI continues to evolve. (summary provided in part by Gemini 2.0)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4hGKsLaKfk

Cuts in January Hit Both Small Colleges and Large Systems - Josh Moody, Inside Higher Ed

A growing number of institutions across the country are looking to shore up their finances by eliminating athletic programs as well as jobs and underenrolled academic programs. A new year is underway, but many colleges are still reeling from the fiscal challenges of 2024. With yawning budget gaps and bleak financial projections at some campuses, administrators are cutting jobs, academic programs and athletics options to plug holes and stabilize their finances.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/business/cost-cutting/2025/02/04/big-state-systems-were-among-those-announcing-cuts-january

Introducing deep research - Open AI

Deep research is OpenAI's next agent that can do work for you independently—you give it a prompt, and ChatGPT will find, analyze, and synthesize hundreds of online sources to create a comprehensive report at the level of a research analyst. Powered by a version of the upcoming OpenAI o3 model that’s optimized for web browsing and data analysis, it leverages reasoning to search, interpret, and analyze massive amounts of text, images, and PDFs on the internet, pivoting as needed in reaction to information it encounters. The ability to synthesize knowledge is a prerequisite for creating new knowledge. For this reason, deep research marks a significant step toward our broader goal of developing AGI, which we have long envisioned as capable of producing novel scientific research.

https://openai.com/index/introducing-deep-research/

Accreditors brace for Trump’s promised higher ed shakeup - Ben Unglesbee & Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive

On the 2024 campaign trail, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump accused the nation’s faculty of being “obsessed with indoctrinating America’s youth” and declared, “The time has come to reclaim our once great educational institutions from the radical Left.” His administration’s “secret weapon” in this conflict would be the accreditation system for colleges and universities.  “When I return to the White House, I will fire the radical Left accreditors that have allowed our colleges to become dominated by Marxist maniacs and lunatics,” he said in a July 2023 campaign video. “We will then accept applications for new accreditors who will impose real standards on colleges once again and once and for all.”

https://www.highereddive.com/news/accreditors-trump-immigration-dei-ed-department-chea-conference/738961/

Higher education’s outlook for 2025 - Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive

If January is any indication, major changes are likely coming to the higher education sector in the year ahead. President Donald Trump has taken executive actions during the first two weeks of his second term that could have big impacts on diversity and equity initiatives, immigration and Title IX, the federal law barring sex-based discrimination in federally funded colleges.  But those aren’t the only shifts that colleges are facing. Many institutions are grappling with financial strains, and the year ahead could bring challenges that are difficult to plan for, such as climate disasters, federal policy changes and cybersecurity attacks.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/higher-ed-trends-outlook-2025/738959

Trump Orders Disrupt Academic Research - Kathryn Palmer, Inside Higher Ed

As the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation review grants and programming for verboten topics—including DEI and “gender ideology”—many researchers aren’t sure if their projects will pass Trump’s nebulous, ideological tests. Many federally funded scientists have either had their grants terminated or can’t access approved funding while the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and other science agencies work to comply with President Trump’s recent executive orders. The orders, which researchers say are vague, ban funding for diversity, equity and inclusion; “gender ideology”; and green energy projects, among other issues.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2025/02/03/how-trumps-executive-orders-are-disrupting

Enterprise technology’s next chapter: Four gen AI shifts that will reshape business technology - McKinsey

Our recent discussions with tech leaders across industries suggest that four emerging shifts are on the horizon as a result of gen AI, each with implications for how tech leaders will run their organizations. These include new patterns of work, architectural foundations, and organizational and cost structures that change both how teams interact with AI and the role gen AI agents play.1 A lot of work is still needed to enable this ambition. Only 30 percent of organizations surveyed earlier this year said they use gen AI in IT and software engineering and have seen significant quantifiable impact.2 Moreover, organizations will need to understand and address the many risks of gen AI—including security, privacy, and explainability3—in order to take advantage of the opportunities.4 But tech leaders we spoke with indicated that their organizations are already laying the groundwork.

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/enterprise-technologys-next-chapter-four-gen-ai-shifts-that-will-reshape-business-technology

Annual Festival to Spotlight Artificial Intelligence - Kenya King, Georgia State University

Beverly Wright, Ph.D., and vice president of data science and artificial intelligence (AI) for Wavicle Solutions, will keynote the annual Daffodil Festival & Symposium at Georgia State University’s Newton Campus on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 11:30 a.m. The theme for Wright’s talk will be "Daffodils, Academics and Artificial Intelligence: What Would Our Ancestors Think?”. Anita Canada, festival chair and instructor of speech communication at Georgia State’s Perimeter College, said that AI is a highly relevant topic—especially for those in higher education. “AI definitely has the potential to and the effect of enhancing learning,” she said. “It also helps to prepare students for today’s workforce.” 

https://news.gsu.edu/2025/02/01/annual-festival-to-spotlight-artificial-intelligence/

OpenAI launches ChatGPT for government agencies - Emma Roth, the Verge

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Gov, a version of its flagship chatbot that’s tailored to government agencies. The company says the tool will let US government agencies securely access OpenAI’s frontier models, like GPT-4o. As noted by OpenAI, government agencies can deploy ChatGPT Gov within their own Microsoft Azure cloud instance, making it easier to manage security and privacy requirements. OpenAI says the launch could help advance the use of OpenAI’s tools “for the handling of non-public sensitive data.”

https://www.theverge.com/news/598852/openai-chatgpt-gov-government-agencies

Alternative Credentials Market for Higher Education to grow by USD 1.8 Billion from 2025-2029, driven by skills gap expansion, Report on AI-powered market evolution - Technavio

Report on how AI is driving market transformation - The global alternative credentials market for higher education size is estimated to grow by USD 1.8 billion from 2025-2029, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of  15.3%  during the forecast period. Widening skills gap is driving market growth, with a trend towards rise in non-traditional offerings. However, threat from traditional degree program providers  poses a challenge. Key market players include 2U Inc., Bisk Ventures, Carroll Community College Foundation Inc., City and Guilds Group, Coursera Inc., Credly Inc., JPMorgan Chase and Co., New York State Education Department, NIIT Ltd., NorthEastern University, Pearson Plc, Purdue University Global, Simplilearn, Strategic Education Inc., Temple University, Udacity Inc., Udemy Inc., University of Michigan, University Professional and Continuing Education Association, and XuetangX.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alternative-credentials-market-for-higher-education-to-grow-by-usd-1-8-billion-from-2025-2029--driven-by-skills-gap-expansion-report-on-ai-powered-market-evolution---technavio-302363300.html

Implementing Artificial Intelligence in Academic and Administrative Processes Through Responsible Strategic Leadership in the Higher Education Institutions - Suleman Ahmad Khairullah, Frontiers in Education

This review explores the substantial impact of integrating AI in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), from improving education delivery to enhancing student outcomes and streamlining administrative processes and strategic leadership.By catering to the diverse learning needs of students with the help of tools that directly affect academics, monitor student engagement and performance, and provide data-driven interventions, AI offers what the HEIs have long been waiting for to revolutionise the overall Higher Education landscape. This review also highlights that with AI's ability to streamline administrative tasks by enhancing admissions and enrolment processes, academic records management system, and financial aid and scholarships processes, AI not only facilitates improving the overall processes but also makes staff and faculty members focus less on mundane and monotonous tasks, hence concentrating more on the responsibilities and strategic initiatives that require focused attention.We identified that the key to unlocking the significant potential of AI is responsible strategic leadership.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1548104/abstract

University System of Maryland prepares to cut hundreds of jobs amid state deficit - Ellie Wolfe, Baltimore Banner

System officials say the proposed budget reduction would directly affect students and the Maryland economy. “We fear unfilled faculty positions will grow our faculty to student ratios and impair students' abilities to graduate on time,” Perman said. “Because we’re responsible for so much of Maryland’s workforce, we’re concerned about the impact of our reduced capacity on the state’s most urgent workforce needs: STEM, health care and teaching.” Many universities will look to eliminate student-facing positions, such as advising, counseling, mental health services, career services and academic support positions, Perman said.

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/higher-education/university-system-maryland-job-cuts-deficit-RCVGULQWZ5GT3NNQSQ5XUKCFWE/

University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies Releases White Paper on Retention and Success in Online Learning Communities - Business Wire

University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies has released a new white paper, “Cultivating Supportive Learning Communities to Increase Retention and Success in Online Programs,” by Joy Hicks, Ed.D., a member of the University’s Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR). In the paper, Hicks offers a literature-based overview of methods for fostering supportive online learning communities that enhance student retention and success in online programs. “What we see is that a sense of belonging in online learning communities is a necessity to enhance the overall experience for students,” Hicks states. “This can be achieved by building a collaborative and stimulating learning environment through active learning and dynamic elements such as networking, study groups, discussion boards, group chats, and student-created blogs for ideas and thoughtful sharing. Making learning relevant, enjoyable, and engaging improves understanding and also builds resilience.”

https://www.standard-journal.com/ap/business/article_a69735bb-622a-5287-9ca2-14a7399b5745.html

How higher education can realize the potential of Generative AI - Tamara Askew, et al; Deloitte

Given the rapid innovation curve of gen AI, it is important for higher education leaders to understand and begin using the technology. Paul LeBlanc, president emeritus of Southern New Hampshire University, sees the knowledge economy “going through a radical reinvention, which means our graduates will soon (‘soon’ as in now) need different skills in different areas of work, and universities will have to rapidly remake themselves for that new reality.”1 The question is whether leaders are ready to take advantage of the opportunities.

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/public-sector/generative-ai-higher-education.html

Most Campus Tech Leaders Say Higher Ed Is Unprepared for AI’s Rise - Kathryn Palmer, Inside Higher Ed

Inside Higher Ed’s third annual survey of campus chief technology officers shows that while there’s enthusiasm for artificial intelligence’s potential to enhance higher education, most institutions don’t have policies that support enterprise-level uses of AI. Nearly two years after generative artificial intelligence exploded into the public consciousness, just 9 percent of chief technology officers believe higher education is prepared to handle the new technology’s rise. That’s one of several key takeaways from Inside Higher Ed’s third annual Survey of Campus Chief Technology/Information Officers, executed with help from Hanover Research in 2024. 

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/artificial-intelligence/2024/10/16/campus-tech-leaders-say-higher-ed

Resilience pulse check: Harnessing collaboration to navigate a volatile world - McKinsey

The report’s findings show that resilience must become a core strategic priority rather than a reactive afterthought and that public–private collaboration is essential for addressing systemic challenges. The insights derived from the survey have enabled the identification of four key collaboration areas including access to capital, macroeconomic stability, sustainable investments, and workforce preparedness. These action areas are intended to serve as guidance for senior leaders to work collectively to transform uncertainty into long-term value and sustainable growth. Effectively addressing these challenges requires unified leadership from chief executive officers, boards, and policymakers.

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/resilience-pulse-check-harnessing-collaboration-to-navigate-a-volatile-world

Leading Through Disruption: Higher Education Leaders Assess AI’s Impacts on Teaching and Learning - Elon University and AAC&U

Higher education leaders grapple with difficult challenges as artificial intelligence tools spread on campus, but they think there will eventually be better student learning outcomes as teaching models change. The spread of artificial intelligence tools in education has disrupted key aspects of teaching and learning on the nation’s campuses and will likely lead to significant changes in classwork, student assignments and even the role of colleges and universities in the country, according to a national survey of higher education leaders. The survey was conducted Nov. 4-Dec. 7, 2024, by the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) and Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center.

https://imaginingthedigitalfuture.org/collaborations/ai_higher_ed_survey_jan2025/

Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI’s full potential - McKinsey

McKinsey research sizes the long-term AI opportunity at $4.4 trillion in added productivity growth potential from corporate use cases.2 Therein lies the challenge: the long-term potential of AI is great, but the short-term returns are unclear. Over the next three years, 92 percent of companies plan to increase their AI investments. But while nearly all companies are investing in AI, only 1 percent of leaders call their companies “mature” on the deployment spectrum, meaning that AI is fully integrated into workflows and drives substantial business outcomes. The big question is how business leaders can deploy capital and steer their organizations closer to AI maturity.

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/superagency-in-the-workplace-empowering-people-to-unlock-ais-full-potential-at-work

DeepSeek R1 Replicated for $30 | Berkley's STUNNING Breakthrough Sparks a Revolution - Wes Roth, YouTube

Researchers at UC Berkeley have replicated the core technology of DeepSeek's R1 AI model for only $30. This is a significant breakthrough that could democratize AI research. The Berkeley team was able to achieve similar results to DeepSeek's R1 model, which was trained on a massive dataset of text and code. The Berkeley team's model was able to learn how to play the game of Go without any human data, solely through self-play. This breakthrough could lead to the development of more sophisticated AI models that can be used for a variety of tasks. The research is still in its early stages, but it has the potential to revolutionize the field of AI. (summary provided by Gemini  2.0)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_h8xt0X1Kg&t=0