Over the past several decades, the technology industry has offered American workers some of the highest wages and highest levels of job security. But recent uncertainty in the labor market has called the value of tech jobs, and tech skills, into question.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already eliminating entry-level tech jobs. Major tech companies like Intel, Meta, and Microsoft have laid off thousands of workers this year. And the Trump Administration’s cuts to research grants has put other parts of the tech sector at risk.
Despite these challenges, I still believe that pursuing a degree in computer science and related disciplines, such as computer engineering, applied math, or data science, is one of the best choices students can make.
Perhaps the biggest misconception people have about computer science and related disciplines is the very nature of what the field really is. The most important concept we want students to learn is to think creatively to solve complex problems. Computer programming is just a tool to systematize problem solving. When I got my degree in computer engineering in 1995, the world was very different. The world wide web was just starting. We didn’t have large scale search engines, cloud computing, or mobile phones. But I learned the foundations of computer science and I was trained in problem solving. And that training allowed me to work in many fields over the last 20 years, including Google search and infrastructure for Microsoft Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing service.
Another important misconception is that AI will disrupt software development more than other fields. The applicability of AI in the workforce is very real and it will be pervasive, impacting every knowledge worker and not only software developers. Very soon we’ll see a multitude of AI tools for other professions as well, including graphic designers, lawyers, accountants, health care providers, and every profession in which knowledge can be systematized by AI systems.
Software development is not only a convenient guinea pig for AI. It is a natural next step, given the evolution of programming languages and how we interact with computers.
However, this will not reduce the need for software developers. We still have a lot to do, and need qualified people who can think critically and solve hard problems. But what we expect from people will change, for developers and for every knowledge worker.
What AI can do really well is automate the mechanical aspects of the job. In software development, if we provide a precise description, AI can write code for us. In marketing, if we provide a good description of the product and the goal of a campaign, AI can produce marketing materials. However, we are still far away from the day that AI will decide what software systems need to be built and which products should be developed. And AI can’t tap into the human emotions that drive consumer behaviors. We need humans for these jobs and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. And we will always need qualified humans that know how to solve complex problems.
Every knowledge worker will eventually need to work alongside AI. In every area. Students should not base what they decided to study on the fact that AI will disrupt their industry. They should pursue the area they are passionate about and that makes them feel their most creative. They should pursue the field that they think will allow them to most positively impact society. Computer science ticks all of these boxes.
I’m biased, but I feel computer science and its related disciplines are an even better choice now than when I graduated in the 90s. We have better technology and more computational resources and a very long list of problems that need to be solved, including global climate change, hunger, and healthcare. These problems need humans.
I know many recent computer science and STEM grads are discouraged by the current job market. While we may have fewer openings for recent grads now than in the recent past, this will change. The job market is cyclical, with some years being much better than others for graduating students. In years when the market is tight, students should focus on deepening their knowledge—if not out of their own self-interest, then for the best interest of society.
We cannot continue building systems without a new generation of computer scientists, and we have more problems to solve than people. We need the next generation of computer scientists to help program a better society.
