Generative AI Devaluing Creative Credentials and Triggering Enrollment Decline
#1Generative AI systems including Suno v4, Udio, Midjourney v7, Sora, and Adobe Firefly are producing music, visual art, video, and design at professional quality levels with prompts requiring no formal training. A 2024 Civitas Learning analysis found that arts and humanities programs have experienced enrollment declines of 15-30% since 2020, a trend that predates but is being accelerated by AI. Prospective students and their families are openly questioning the return on investment of a four-year arts degree when AI tools costing $20/month produce comparable outputs.