Higher Education in the Age of AI: Israeli Universities Face a Paradigm Shift
Israeli universities face a major transformation as artificial intelligence disrupts traditional teaching, assessment, and research methods, requiring a shift toward critical thinking and interactive learning.
The intersection of higher education and artificial intelligence is forcing universities to reinvent themselves. With AI tools capable of writing papers, generating code, and providing instant answers, traditional teaching methods relying on lectures and knowledge-based exams are falling short. This technological shift has sparked a systemic crisis, pushing academic institutions to rethink the graduate profile, learning processes, teaching methodologies, evaluation systems, and research frameworks.
One of the core challenges lies in the misalignment of academic human resources. While professors are traditionally promoted based on their research output—often viewing teaching as a secondary burden—they are now compelled to mentor, guide, and actively instruct students. Furthermore, because written assignments can easily be generated by AI, oral evaluations are becoming increasingly vital. However, conducting oral exams is nearly impossible in large introductory courses with hundreds of students, leaving universities searching for viable solutions.
Prof. Ami Moyal, chairman of the Planning and Budgeting Committee of the Council for Higher Education (Vatat) and a pioneer of artificial intelligence in Israel, views AI as an opportunity rather than a threat. Since taking office, Moyal has secured substantial government budgets to provide researchers with supercomputers capable of running complex AI systems and analyzing massive datasets. He also established dedicated committees to prepare academia for the AI era.
"AI will not replace workers with strong AI orientation. It will replace workers who lack such orientation," Moyal states. Therefore, he argues, universities must reshape the graduate profile, demanding not only academic knowledge but also critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, and presentation skills—all essential for working alongside AI. The Council for Higher Education is currently investing 100 million shekels in academic staff training, with institutions matching that amount.
Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg, former chairman of Vatat and head of the Institute for National Security Studies, notes that attendance at frontal lectures had already declined prior to the AI boom, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. "I predict students will come to class to hold discussions, because that has no substitute. But this must happen in small groups," Trajtenberg explains. He emphasizes that while AI can provide information, it cannot internalize knowledge or foster critical thinking on its own.
Over the past two years, enrollment in computer science undergraduate programs has dropped by 15%, falling from 7,277 at the start of the 2022/23 academic year to 6,219 at the start of 2024/25. This decline is attributed to the junior developer market correction and fears that AI might automate entry-level coding roles. Nevertheless, many students have shifted toward related high-tech disciplines such as data science, data engineering, and artificial intelligence, where enrollment has doubled.
Despite these shifts, industry leaders maintain that academic degrees remain highly relevant. Dadi Perlmutter, chairman of the Technion Board of Governors and head of the High-Tech Human Capital Committee, asserts that the tech industry still values degrees and foundational knowledge. "You wouldn't trust someone who merely knows how to use Claude to develop a missile," Perlmutter notes. Institutions will need to update their curricula annually, integrating applied projects and extensive industrial experience to prepare students for a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
