e Collapse of Prestige: Harvard, AI, & the End of Intellectual Authority | Toronto Talks Episode 010

For centuries, prestige institutions like Harvard defined the meaning of authority. A diploma wasn’t just paper — it was power. It meant access, credibility, and a seat at the table. But today, artificial intelligence is eroding that monopoly on knowledge — and exposing the fragility of elite credentialism.

In this episode of Toronto Talks, we explore what happens when the ivory tower begins to crack. From AI systems outperforming experts to the democratization of information once locked behind gates, the foundations of intellectual prestige are under pressure like never before.

We ask: If authority no longer comes from a name etched on stone, where does it come from? How do institutions built on centuries of reputation adapt when legitimacy shifts from credentials to demonstrated performance? And what happens to society when the markers of “trust” and “truth” themselves begin to collapse?

This isn’t just a story about Harvard. It’s about the unraveling of a global hierarchy of knowledge — and the uncertain, disruptive, but potentially liberating new order taking its place.