OpenAI executive to students: 'Studying computer science is…'

OpenAI chairman

Bret Taylor

said that studying computer science remains "extremely valuable” in the era of

artificial intelligence

(AI). The executive emphasized that these degrees build ‘systems thinking’, a key skill that remains important even as

AI coding tools

become widespread. He emphasized that the skill helps in product development and is a critical skill that AI tools cannot replace. According to a Business Insider report, Taylor emphasized that this skill will continue to be essential even as AI coding tools progresses. He said a computer science degree gives students a deeper understanding of important topics like Big O notation, complexity theory, randomized algorithms, and cache misses.“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.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates says AI won’t replace programming as a career

Speaking in early July, the Microsoft co-founder said that programming will “remain a human job for at least a century”. Writing software, he argues, is less about typing syntax and more about spotting unseen patterns, judging trade-offs and making a leap no algorithm can anticipate. AI can already draft snippets, debug routine errors and suggest architectural templates, yet the spark that turns a half-baked idea into working logic still comes from a person at a keyboard.Gates shared the view in separate conversations with The Economic Times and The Tonight Show, then echoed it during a podcast with Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath. Each time, he circled back to the same point: tools like Copilot and ChatGPT are power chisels, not replacement carpenters. They enhance human productivity, creativity, and problem-solving across multiple industries and sectors. These AI tools shorten repetitive grunt work but ultimately leave the blueprint and decision-making to us.