As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the world, especially the tech industry, OpenAI Chairman Bret Taylor believes that a computer science degree is more relevant than ever.

Speaking recently, Taylor stressed that while AI coding tools are gaining ground, studying computer science builds “systems thinking”, a core skill that AI can’t replicate.

“Studying computer science is a different answer than learning to code, but I would say I still think it’s extremely valuable to study computer science,” Taylor said, as quoted by Business Insider.

He explained that a formal computer science degree equips students with a deeper grasp of foundational knowledge that AI-powered coding assistants simply can’t replace, such as Big O notation, randomised algorithms, cache misses, and complexity theory.

Taylor emphasised that as AI becomes more integrated into software development, these underlying principles become even more crucial in areas like product development, and system design.

Bill Gates agrees

Echoing similar sentiments, Bill Gates, Microsoft’s co-founder, has also voiced confidence in the long-term future of programmers.

Speaking in a series of recent interactions, including interviews with The Economic Times, The Tonight Show, and a podcast with Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath, Gates reiterated that programming is here to stay.

“Programming will remain a human job for at least a century,” Gates stated.

“Writing software… is less about typing syntax and more about spotting unseen patterns, judging trade-offs and making a leap no algorithm can anticipate,” he added.

According to Gates, while tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT can draft code snippets, fix bugs, or recommend architectures, the creative spark and critical thinking that bring software to life, still lie with the developer.