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Ihateseatbelts t1_iqwmhac wrote

Yes.

I went to uni to study animation (CG, but with traditional fundamentals and a couple of liberal arts modules). I've never used my degree in a professional context, though I do intend to (save the laughs lol). Here's why.

Higher education wasn't always about money. It was about the pursuit of knowledge. At first it was considered a godly endeavour, then a mark of social refinement. Cue the Industrial Revolution, and from there you have your three "R"s. What I'm trying to say is that the world hasn't always looked like this. Society isn't static, and never will be.

The simple fact of the matter is that, eventually, AI will outperform us in all respects. Talking careers and the like is pointless, because those might not exist by the end of the century, if not sooner. However, at least until the onset of AGI/ASI, we will share this space. I've heard ML/neural network experts debunk the misconception that AI and human intelligence work identically, so our input and perspective, especially as meat-bound humans, may still yield material value to society.

But that's besides the point. What if you are "obsolete"? Would you lose interest in engineering just because they outclass you? You'll never be the best at anything, my friend. Life isn't a competiton: the race was created by Man. AI just might lay waste to it, and maybe, just maybe, we'll finally get along, pursuing our little passions while this potential most magnificent mind solves the problems too big for us.

Tl;dr: If you love what you do, don't stop. Find reasons to continue. If not, pursue what gets you up in the morning and enjoy the ride :)

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EtherealSorceress t1_iqwpki0 wrote

I like this response. I’m currently in uni for an animation degree as well. Even though most people would probably think it stupid, especially with how tech has been progressing recently. I’d rather push myself towards something I enjoy though, instead of just pursuing a degree that I don’t even enjoy just because it’s what makes the most money or that it’s the least likely to get automated soon.

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Ihateseatbelts t1_iqwqemd wrote

Real talk! Pursuit of money (at any point, but especially at this one in history) just feels like a race to the bottom. We have to focus on being ourselves and doing right by others - switching lanes to make a couple extra quid for five years just won't cut it. But I'm just a talking avatar, so who knows? All the best on your journey, squire!

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planmannow t1_iqwup14 wrote

Don’t do animation, do computer science. You take a class on graphics rendering if you love art so much. Do be afraid to get to close to the sun, that’s what college is for. If you think you don’t have the aptitude for computer science, I think you are underestimating yourself and how long the journey ahead really is. Please PM me or reply to discuss further, but please don’t waste university years on an animation degree when it’s so hard that you might as well do computer science.

Omfg I’m fueming, don’t go to university for ANIMATION. DO COMPUTER SCIENCE. DO COMPUTER SCIENCE. DO COMPUTER SCIENCE. Do you know what it’s like being poor? It’s very stressful.

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