In 2023, when I was searching for a school to pursue my master’s degree, I wasn’t focused on the specific criteria. What I wanted was an advanced education that would deepen what I already knew, challenge me with new experiences, help me gain fresh skills, expose me to a different environment, allow me to build a strong network, and, of course, earn a degree from a good institution.
Choosing a school involves many considerations such as tuition fees, location, programs offered, reputation, longevity of the program, and even the visa application process.
One weekend, I was on my laptop juggling different ideas, a thought struck me, back in my home country, Rwanda, there are some agencies that help students apply for different schools abroad (They get paid for this service, of course).
But why don’t applicants just do it by themselves? I asked some whom I know were planning to continue their studies abroad. Their answers were in general telling how it’s not easy, it’s overwhelming, or it takes too much time to filter useful information from a big pool of schools. And I thought, what AI could contribute to this?
AI and the Future of Learning
Artificial Intelligence is becoming part of every sector. With the rise of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), models are getting better at understanding, reasoning and answering plain-language requests. When OpenAI released GPT-5, people quickly realized, this model operates at a PhD level of intelligence, and it’s accessible for free (just have an account).
That raises a fascinating question, if I can access PhD-level knowledge 24/7, does that mean I could become a PhD-level skilled in any field, without spending 3 to 5 years in a traditional program? And if so, what comes after a PhD though?
This made me rethink education as a whole. Shouldn’t education, from searching for schools to accessing content be free, or at least far more accessible? idk.
Building a School Search Portal
Motivated by these questions, I built a simple prototype, an AI-powered school search portal. Instead of drowning in endless websites and conflicting information, you just type your request in plain English, and the system returns the top 10 schools with the most crucial information to help you decide.
Technical details:
- Backend: Python with FastAPI
- AI integration: OpenAI API
- Frontend: Next.js
- To be hosted soon.
Open-source: GitHub Repository
How it works:
You enter your program of interest in plain English in input text and select your country of origin so the system can analyze visa requirements.
The portal then presents results on a single screen, including:
- School name
- Location
- Program name & type (technical, bachelor’s, master’s, PhD)
- Duration
- Application deadlines
- Scholarships (if available)
- Tuition fees
- Language of instruction
- School reputation
- Acceptance rate
- Visa process overview
Of course, not all information (especially visa details) will be 100% accurate, you should always double-check. But the point is clear, AI can dramatically simplify the process.
The Big Question ?
So, do we still need to struggle to access top-level education and attend classes? The answer is both No and Yes. No, we don’t have to struggle anymore—AI has made information and opportunities more accessible than ever. But also, Yes in attending classes, learning in a structured environment, engaging with peers, receiving emotional support, and experiencing campus life are aspects of education that AI can never fully replace.
But do we need to spend years pursuing a degree like a PhD, when AI gives us constant access to PhD-level knowledge? That’s debatable. Many of the people building these models hold PhDs themselves, yet the tools they’ve created are democratizing access to advanced knowledge.
If AI can put a PhD-level intelligence in our pockets, why should advanced education still feel like an exclusive privilege?
Top comments (4)
In the age of AI, free education makes sense because access to knowledge should keep pace with technology. AI tools can make learning cheaper, personalized, and scalable, so making education free could help bridge gaps and prepare more people for a tech-driven future. However, sustainable funding models are needed to maintain quality and resources.
agree, creating a validator entity in between would be needed.
Courage brother
Good point, but I see it in another way, referring to Africa as a case study. Some young women and men are very smart. How do we know that? When they get the chance to access a good education, they are often the ones who achieve excellent grades. If advanced education were free (or at least widely accessible), the corrupt governments you mentioned would not benefit from it, in financial and infrastructure support.
I totally agree that having many mentors to uplift others, especially in the use of AI, is important. And when it comes to free education, I would prefer having a validator in between.