'Jensen Huang to Teach': AI School Set Up in Silicon Valley as an Alternative to College

[Financial News] A leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm is establishing an artificial intelligence (AI) talent development institution designed to serve as an alternative to college.
On the 22nd, local time, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) announced, "We are establishing the Andreessen Horowitz Academy (HAA) to teach future talent who have graduated from high school the practical skills needed in the AI era." The firm explained the background to HAA's creation, saying, "If the internet made it possible to know anything, AI makes it possible to do anything. This has changed the meaning of education and youth, and calls for a new kind of educational institution."
HAA will operate on a San Francisco campus with full-time, in-person instruction in a residential setting. Its curriculum will include special lectures delivered by top executives and founders from major technology companies who visit the campus in person. The high-profile lineup of speakers includes NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Thinking Machines Lab CEO Mira Murati, who previously served as OpenAI's chief technology officer, and Uber founder Travis Kalanick.
Unlike a university, the institution's curriculum is built around work-based learning, expert-led courses and individual projects rather than traditional theoretical lectures. Through its work-based learning program, students will be able to gain practical experience at leading technology companies through rotational work placements, internships and similar arrangements, not only during school breaks but also while the academic term is in session. Companies offering work-based learning opportunities include NVIDIA, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Experience Center, Meta Platforms, Palantir Technologies and Anduril Industries, all of which currently lead the technology industry.
HAA will soon begin accepting applications and will start classes next fall for the first students in the founding cohort of its one-year program. During its first year, however, it will operate as an unaccredited educational institution whose degrees are not recognized, while waiving tuition. After receiving approval from state authorities, it plans to expand into a regular two-year program starting in 2028 and charge tuition comparable to that of prestigious private universities.
[email protected] Hong Chae-wan Reporter