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"the very foundation of modern academia has been blown to bits"
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Tony Feng is a mathematics professor at UC Berkeley, and he tells us: « In the past, the path to a math Ph.D. cultivated resilience, resourcefulness, critical thinking, and a healthy skepticism (…) but suddenly you can produce a passable Ph.D. thesis with the push of a button. » Obviously, it is not just in mathematics. Obviously. Want to write a PhD in sociology, education, computer science, or m...
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Based on 5 sampled comments from this thread. Analyzed 2026-08-01.
- Praise: The democratization of knowledge via AI tools is liberating those previously kept out of academia, opening doors to innovation and new perspectives.
- Praise: Despite the concerns, many believe the core value of a PhD lies in the training and experience gained, not just the thesis itself.
- Concern: The ease of generating theses with AI has lowered the bar for academic rigor, raising serious concerns about the quality and integrity of research.
- Concern: There’s a palpable fear that the reliance on AI for research and thesis work could lead to a generation of graduates lacking essential skills and understanding.