In the age of AI, some people are rethinking college. Tech execs are telling their own kids that a degree is still important. Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI By 2026-05-02T09:19:01.295Z As a first-generation college student, my diploma meant the world to me, even before I had it in hand. Being the first in my family to obtain a degree wasn't just a personal achievement; it was a ticket to a more secure financial future. Fifteen years later, with my college loans only recently paid off, I sometimes think a lot about the value of that degree, versus its costs. It turns out that questioning is becoming more and more common. Last year, only one-third of Americans agreed that a four-year college degree is worth its cost because it leads to better job prospects, according to an NBC News Poll . The boom in artificial intelligence (AI) is contributing to college skepticism, too.…