In the middle of the technological disruption, with the AI, making their way in all economic sectors, Spanish universities continue to walk at a pace that does not seem to align with the needs of the market. An analysis by Learning Heroesreveals that less than 1% of the degrees offered by the 10 best Spanish universities according to the QS 2024 ranking are directly related to artificial intelligence.
Specifically, of the 266 technological programs analyzed, only 6 make explicit reference to AI in its official denomination, which represents only 2.26%. A fact that highlights a worrying gap between academic training and the demand for technological talent: according to Microsoft and LinkedIn data, two out of three managers consider that proving knowledge in AI is already an indispensable requirement in selection processes.
“Traditional universities face a great challenge. They are adapted to a bureaucratic system that complicates the formalization of content and delays their review and delivery to students. A university program or artificial intelligence training that is not constantly updated, has no value,” warns Arnau Ramió, co -founder and academic director of Learning Heroes.
Only 6 of the 266 technological programs of the best universities include AI as a central axis, according to a study by Learning Heroes
Ramió also points to an erroneous trend in academic planning: focusing on masters and postgraduate ones without a specialized base. “Superior programs tend to address AI from a strategic or business approach, but the technical part is being left, which is really transforming operations from within.”
A structural lag that feeds the talent gap
The report not only indicates a scarce offer, but also a maple structure to the times. The process of approval of a new university degree in Spain can take between two and four years, a rhythm that contrasts with the development speed of AI, where significant advances occur in cycles of just six months.
“This opens a great opportunity for more agile educational centers, which focus on constant update and restructure their content dynamically,” says Ramió. “We create Learning Heroes precisely with that mission: empower people in the exponential era with a practical, personalized and living formation, capable of evolving at the same rate as technology.”
A future that does not expect
The formative lag can have consequences beyond the individual level. The World Economic Forum estimates that AI will generate 170 million new jobs in the next five years. If the educational ecosystem fails to adapt its proposal in that same period, Spain runs the risk of deepening its technological dependence from abroad, losing competitiveness and innovation opportunities.
The challenge is clear: prepare a new generation of capable professionals not only of using artificial intelligence, but of developing, managing and leading their integration into the economy. For now, that challenge is still pending in most university classrooms.
