Rafael Reif, former president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), explained that the workforce will expand by 100,000% in the coming years, at least in the U.S., but workers will need tech skills to keep up.

Born in Venezuela, Reif earned his Electrical Engineering degree from the Universidad de Carabobo and later obtained a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He served as MIT’s 17th president from 2012 to 2022.

“At MIT, we often saw companies choosing to establish themselves in places where people were trained in technology and robotics,” he said during his talk at the Tec Science Summit 2025.

Universities, he added, must align training and education efforts. “Since 2011, MIT has shared low-cost online content for anyone eager to learn. We strive to make it interactive and tutorial-based. I believe universities must share knowledge in every possible way. This is not just an option—it’s an imperative in this technological revolution.”

Bilingual AI Students

Reif explained that MIT recognized the growing demand for AI training nearly a decade ago.

“We see the need to educate students for a world shaped by digital technology and advanced algorithms. AI must become a bridge between computing and other disciplines. For instance, it has already proven a powerful tool for accelerating research, such as early cancer detection.”

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