Stanford CS chair discusses rethinking education as AI can code and write essays

In a video interview from the Imagination in Action series, Stanford Computer Science Department Chair Mehran Sahami talks with host John Werner about how artificial intelligence is changing education. They discuss how AI tools can now complete essays, problem sets, and coding assignments, breaking the traditional link between a strong output and evidence of learning.

The conversation covers how schools might redesign assessments, how to teach students to use AI as a tool without letting it replace their own thinking, and why computer science education remains valuable even as AI writes code. They also touch on the role of liberal arts training and ethics in preparing students for a future increasingly shaped by AI agents, and whether universities can adapt quickly enough to these changes.