Madeline Bryce/Daily Nexus
In a daring leap towards the future, UC Santa Barbara has recently announced plans to replace a third of its student body with artificial intelligence by the summer of 2026.
The move mirrors nationwide trends among corporate giants, where thousands of employees are being phased out in favor of AI. Meta has laid off over 5 percent of its workforce at 21,000 employees, Microsoft has laid off 9,000 employees, and Intel is laying off over 5,000 employees.
Following in the footsteps of these titans, UCSB Interim Chancellor David Marshall issued a statement to the Daily Nexus on July 25 in light of this new decision.
“We no longer need over 21,000 students on campus. Recent analytics show we can meet our performance metrics with just two-thirds of the current student population, supplemented by AI to maintain enrollment capacity,” Marshall said.
Marshall specifically cited the success of platforms like ChatGPT and DeepSeek as contributors to the decision.
“Students just can’t keep up with AI’s superior writing and mathematical output, not to mention unmatched efficiency. AI doesn’t need to eat, find housing or waste hours every night sleeping like our human students do. All we’re aiming for is a more streamlined university,” Marshall said.
Understandably, many students and families feel threatened by the announcement.
“I’ve studied my whole life to be here,” first-year computer science major Anita Job posted on the r/UCSantaBarbara subreddit. “I was already worried that it would be difficult to get a job as a software engineer after college, but now I don’t even know if I’ll be able to finish college before getting replaced by AI!”
And it’s not just the S.T.E.M. majors who are feeling the pressure. Even Deborah Vance, the head of UCSB’s theater & dance program, has recently spread rumors on an Instagram post.
“There are already AI prototypes in development that may soon outperform our best dancers. We’re witnessing the dawn of a whole new era,” Vance said.
In an attempt to calm concerns, UCSB officials have promised a phased rollout and emphasized that strong student performance may stave off replacement.
“We’ll be slowly introducing AI students, known as StudentGPTs, who will attend lectures via laptops and have the same information and resources as you have. That’s why there should be no excuses if you get cut. If you don’t want to be replaced, then you have an obligation to outperform,” an administrator stated. “Beginning with S.T.E.M. majors, we will gradually expand into every field we can. Don’t worry, there’s no need to fear. Be sure to treat your fellow AI students as you would your friends, since soon there will be thousands among you. And remember, they’re always watching you, so you better be on your best behavior.”
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