{
  "id": 9239659,
  "title": "AI is wiping out whole degrees in China — translation, photography, illustration and fashion design are going, while prompt engineering is the new job appearing in film",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/ai-is-wiping-out-whole-degrees-in-china-translation-photography",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-23T01:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechRadar",
    "slug": "techradar",
    "url": "https://www.techradar.com/pro/ai-is-wiping-out-whole-degrees-in-china-translation-photography-illustration-and-fashion-design-are-going-while-prompt-engineering-is-the-new-job-appearing-in-film"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chinese universities are slashing traditional courses due to AI advancements, with translation, photography, illustration, and fashion design facing significant cuts, while prompt engineering emerges as a new job opportunity in film. Photography programmes are being merged as AI reshapes creative production, with the Central Academy of Fine Arts dropping illustration, photography, and translation courses, citing poor value for money. Fashion design degrees are also being scrapped, with universities emphasizing the importance of collaboration between humans and machines in creative work. These changes come amid a state campaign to steer students toward AI-related fields like chips, robotics, and AI industries, which are deemed vital for national prospects. Between 2021 and 2025, Chinese universities closed or paused 12,200 undergraduate programs and introduced roughly 10,200 new programs, with arts, humanities, and language courses bearing the brunt of the restructuring. A survey of 70 universities revealed cuts to five translation majors, eight Japanese majors, and five German majors, among other language programs. While AI could enhance translation accuracy, many argue that interpreting involves more than mere word conversion; it requires personal style and critical thinking skills. At the Communication University of China, five programs, including visual communication design, comics, and photography, reportedly closed, with photography being merged into film and television photography. New roles such as prompt engineer and AI animator are emerging in film and animation, alongside the elimination of traditional majors. Universities are launching hybrid courses that combine artistic instruction with AI training, while standalone degrees are being scrapped across the sector. This shift is altering the expectations of employers for graduates in translation, design, photography, and film production, demanding technical skills that allow students to collaborate with automated creative systems. Consequently, the university landscape is evolving, with some familiar degrees disappearing while new AI-focused programs take their place.",
  "summary": "Chinese universities are cutting or restructuring creative programmes as AI changes employment needs, while new technology-focused courses and film roles emerge.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}