One signal

Udemy co-founder Gagan Biyani is launching a $42 million Silicon Valley academy for young builders, with a curriculum built around projects, industry placements and “proof of work” rather than exams or transcripts, according to Punjab Kesari English.

Why it matters

The programme is due to run in San Francisco from September to April, followed by international travel and corporate co-op placements. Students are also promised $50,000 in computing credits and $5,000 for travel and research. Guest speakers and mentors are set to include Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, Satya Nadella and Fei-Fei Li. It is a useful signal of how the AI industry wants to train its next workforce: fewer lecture halls, more projects, and a conspicuously well-funded shortcut to the right people. Whether “proof of work” broadens access or simply creates a new elite pipeline is the part worth watching. Would this model produce better AI builders than a conventional degree, or just make networking even more expensive?

Discuss: Would a project-and-placement model produce better AI builders than a conventional degree, or mainly create a new elite pipeline?

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