Anthropic cofounder, a humanities graduate, says studying arts helped build AI. He suggests what subjects to study in college in AI era

Choosing what to pursue in college can feel overwhelming for many students. With so many courses, career paths, and opinions around them, it’s easy to feel confused. Some are influenced by family expectations, while others follow what their friends are choosing, even if it doesn’t truly interest them. Many students worry about job prospects, salary, and stability, often at the cost of their own passions. In the middle of all this noise, figuring out what truly feels right can become truly difficult. But Anthropic cofounder and former journalist Jack Clark has some wonderful advice for pupils navigating through this phase.

Why liberal arts still matter

Jack Clark, who studied literature at the University of East Anglia, attended Semafor's World Economy Summit held in Washington, DC, on April 13. While addressing the audience at the event, he stated that an individual must not write off liberal arts majors, especially in today’s AI-driven world.


Elaborating on the topic, Jack Clark shared a personal anecdote revealing how his background in literature unexpectedly proved valuable in the world of artificial intelligence. He explained that studying history and understanding the narratives people create about the future helped him develop insights that are now highly relevant to AI, something few would have predicted at the time.

Jack Clark on asking the right questions

Jack Clark further emphasised that the most valuable fields of study are often those that encourage overlap across disciplines. According to him, majors that foster synthesis between diverse subjects, combined with strong analytical thinking, are likely to become increasingly important. He added that one of the most crucial skills students can develop is the ability to ask the right questions.

Having the intuition to identify what is worth exploring and drawing connections across different domains can set individuals apart, highlighted Jack Clark. In fact, he also noted that even majors that may apparently seem mismatched in the age of artificial intelligence could prove to be beneficial in the long run.

More about Jack Clark

As per Forbes, Jack Clark enjoys a net worth of Rs 7 billion. He is a prominent voice in the artificial intelligence space and currently serves as the cofounder and head of policy at Anthropic, a firm focused on building advanced AI systems. Clark helped establish the company in 2021 alongside a group of former OpenAI researchers. Before stepping into the tech world, he worked as a technology journalist with Bloomberg and also authored a widely followed newsletter on AI research called Import AI.