Humanities students embrace AI

For Xu Sihan, a literature graduate student based in Beijing, a pivotal moment came in 2024 when she compared AI translations of classical Chinese literature with the translations she had done as an undergraduate.

"I could no longer tell the difference between human and AI-generated literary translations," Xu said. Unsettled, she turned to her professor for guidance. That conversation ultimately became a turning point, steering her toward internships in the AI industry.

When Xu asked how the humanities could remain relevant in the age of AI, her professor told her that human writing is rooted in unspoken emotions and personal stories — things that resonate with others even when the writer cannot fully explain them. What makes human expression unique is the writer's lived experience.

That insight strengthened Xu's belief that the humanities and AI need not be at odds. When applying for internships, she began prioritizing AI-related roles. In 2025, after sending out numerous applications and receiving only one offer, she became a public relations intern working on AI-related projects at a major tech company. She has since moved into an AI product role at another tech firm.

Looking back on her first internship, Xu said the greatest benefit, as someone from a liberal arts background, was gaining a deeper understanding of the AI ecosystem.

"Before I entered the industry, I followed AI news casually, but once I was in it, I was exposed to at least five times as much information," she recalled. Being surrounded by people who constantly discussed AI made it impossible to remain a casual observer.

"You can no longer tell yourself it is enough to be interested from afar. You must get in the game," she said. The most valuable part, she added, was seeing firsthand how the industry evolved and how professionals responded to each technological shift.

As Xu shared her journey online, she began receiving messages from other liberal arts students asking how they could move into AI-related work. Many worried about missing out, being replaced, or not knowing which roles to pursue.

Those questions pushed Xu to think more concretely about where liberal arts students can fit into the AI industry. She pointed to two possible directions.

The first is to identify real-world needs and focus on practical applications. Xu gave an example of a conversation with a friend working in human resources.

Through that discussion, she realized that job seekers needed an AI agent, or automated assistant, capable of matching job seekers with suitable openings.

For Xu, that unmet need became a product opportunity — one where liberal arts students can contribute by understanding people's needs and translating them into useful applications.

The second direction is to focus on the human and ethical sides of AI. Tasks such as shaping AI personas or helping AI communicate more warmly and empathetically, she said, draw directly on the strengths of liberal arts students.

Xu also noted that the job market in 2026 has become even more competitive. Liberal arts students seeking AI-related positions, she said, may need to demonstrate their abilities through tangible work, such as creating a demo with AI coding tools.

Fortunately, as more people enter the AI field, learning resources have become increasingly abundant. Even students without a computer science background can now begin to understand the basic logic of how AI systems work through online courses.

Above all, Xu stressed the importance of not setting limits on oneself.

"I never set limits on myself because of my identity as a liberal arts student," she said. "That's why I ended up doing work that doesn't look like a typical liberal arts job."