Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis on importance of computer science degree in AI age: You are still going to need to know best software engineering practices, as those who understand deep technical will be able to use …
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis believes computer science education will remain important in the AI era. He has argued that people with strong technical knowledge will be better positioned to use AI tools effectively, even as programming evolves. Speaking at a recent business conference in London, Hassabis said students should continue to focus on STEM subjects and computer science. He said, “You absolutely needed to lean into STEM and computer science. It’s just a higher-level programming language is the way you can think about what programming is going to become.”He said programming languages have evolved from machine code to C and Python, and suggested that natural language could play a larger role in the future. Hassabis said, “You’re still going to need to know about architecting things and best software engineering practices. Those people who understand the deep technical, they’ll be able to use these tools 10 times more effectively than people who don’t have that technical knowledge.”
AI also increases demand for humanities: Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis
Alongside technical education, Hassabis said AI will also increase the importance of disciplines such as philosophy, economics and ethics.“I also believe that the time is now for the humanities like philosophy, economics. I think we really need them in the world we’re about to enter,” he said.Hassabis’ comments come as technology leaders continue discussing how AI will affect software engineering careers and the value of computer science degrees.In December 2025, AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton said AI may replace many mid-level programming tasks but argued that computer science degrees will continue to have long-term value.“Obviously, just being a competent mid-level programmer is not going to be a career for much longer, because AI can do that,” Hinton said. But the value of a CS degree is much more than just coding, which is why he thinks a “CS degree will be valuable for quite a long time.”Affirm CEO Max Levchin has also argued that computer science fundamentals remain essential for evaluating code quality.“There’s a matter of taste and elegance in programming,” he said on a podcast earlier this year. “That’s certainly important to me as a programmer, and without having a solid foundation in computer science, I wouldn’t be able to have that conversation,” Levchin added.
