US college has never cost more or been worth less — and AI-generated lectures make it worse
dbasch · x · 2026-09-03
Reacting to CNBC's reporting on US college costs, dbasch argues American higher education has never been more expensive or less valuable — a uniquely American problem.
Key points:
- College is free and worthwhile in other countries because its real value is critical thinking and peer relationships during one's youth, not 'content delivery'
- Lectures are now irrelevant: a handful of curious students in a dorm can watch the best lecture ever on YouTube, or generate one taught by Oppenheimer or Enrico Fermi with AI
- Colleges should provide the environment and incentives to learn, not world-class sports facilities and luxurious classrooms
- A top-10 degree matters only in the first few years of a career before achievements take over
The thread hits the core question AI poses for higher education: when knowledge is nearly free, what is college actually selling?
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