AI is rapidly changing higher education. Stakeholders in higher education are reevaluating pedagogical priorities and considering how to adapt to this groundbreaking technological innovation. Critics are concerned that AI will limit students’ ability to create strong arguments, empathize with humans and comprehend the complex information environment. Considering these concerns, policy debate has a strong case for enhanced relevance, because it can ensure students maintain the exact set of skills that integration of AI might degrade. In this paper, we outline the case for policy debate’s continued relevance, providing findings that are helpful for advocates of debate programs in the United States.