Summary
In this a16z conversation, Ben Horowitz and co-founder Gagan Biyani announce the launch of the Horowitz and Gagan Academy, a new school designed for the AI era, and discuss why they believe traditional college is increasingly mismatched with what young people actually need to enter the workforce. They argue that hiring skill requirements are evolving faster than universities can adapt, and that AI is accelerating this gap even further.
The discussion covers what the new academy aims to do differently: connecting students directly to real jobs and technology-focused skill-building rather than a broad liberal-arts bundle, while still acknowledging that traditional college remains valuable for many students. Horowitz also reflects on how AI could reshape human relationships and workplace culture by automating routine digital tasks, potentially freeing people to focus more on people skills, mentorship, and collaboration.
The conversation draws on a commissioned research report on Gen Z, highlighting high variance and fragmentation in outcomes across the generation, and frames the academy as a response to that fragmentation. For anyone tracking how venture capital firms and AI leaders are thinking about education, hiring pipelines, and the changing shape of entry-level career paths in an AI-driven economy, this interview offers a first-hand look at both the reasoning and the concrete plan behind a major new initiative.
📺 Source: a16z · Published September 22, 2026
🏷️ Format: Interview
