Despite tech layoffs and questions about AI, computer science majors are on the rise

staff reporter

Ellie Park, photo editor

Artificial intelligence isn’t slowing down Yale’s computer science department.

The department plans to award 138 graduate degrees in “pure” majors this year, up from 97 the year before. Other majors within the department, such as computer science and economics and computer science and mathematics, are expected to increase as well. The surge comes amid national layoffs in technology from 2023 to early 2024, and as the emergence of artificial intelligence technologies lingers questions about the future of traditional computer science roles. .

“Personally, I don’t think we’re going to see much change in CS majors,” computer science professor Brian Scacellati told the News. “The way people write programs is certainly changing, but the need for programmers doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.”

The number of computer science degrees awarded at Yale has more than doubled in the past five years and more than fivefold in the past 10 years. Other degrees in the department follow a similar trend, including Computer Science and Economics, Computer Science and Mathematics, and Computing and Arts.

Recently released new artificial intelligence technologies, such as ChatGPT in 2022 and Microsoft’s Copilot and Google Gemini in 2023, can automate common programming tasks such as code generation, debugging, and algorithm optimization. By 2023, there will be more than 260,000 technical employees. was fired By employers like Amazon, Google, and Apple. While workforce reductions will continue in 2024, companies will Investing in AI technology priorities.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 11% decrease Employment opportunities for computer programmers will increase over the next decade, citing automation as a factor. However, software developers, who earn a higher median salary than programmers in 2022 ($124,200 vs. $97,800, respectively), are projected to see a 25% increase in job opportunities, according to the bureau.

Kyle Jensen, a professor at the Yale School of Management who teaches the course “Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence Models,” wrote that Yale computer science students do not need to worry about job security.

““Perhaps the demand for monotonous work is decreasing, but in any case, this is not the kind of work a Yale graduate would do,” Jensen wrote. “If anything, the education CS students receive at Yale is more valuable because it frees them from minutiae and allows them to think more freely about concepts and the ‘big picture.’ .”

A News survey of 36 computer science majors at Yale University found that nearly two-thirds of all respondents said they felt their future career prospects were “the same” or “the same” given advances in AI and automation. Respondents answered that they felt a sense of security.

Alex Schapiro ’26, a computer science major and director of Yale’s CourseTable, said he feels more secure about his career prospects in the technology industry now than he did in 2022, when ChatGPT first appeared. .

“If anything, I think the need for CS graduates may expand as AI brings new capabilities to the industry,” Shapiro said. “While lower-level programming jobs may be at risk, we do not see any particular threat at this time.”

However, Shapiro noted that it is still too early to determine exactly how AI will impact the CS job market.

Among survey respondents, responses were more evenly distributed when asked how informed respondents felt about the impact of AI on the current job market. Responses were fairly evenly distributed on a scale of 1 to 5, ranging from “not at all knowledgeable” to “very knowledgeable.”

Richard Yang, director of undergraduate research for the computer science major, agreed with this sentiment, saying that if anything, the development of new AI technologies like ChatGPT will make computer science even more mainstream, making it more likely that prospective majors will be turned down. It also attracts many students, he added. .

“I don’t see the momentum of Yale’s CS major slowing down,” said K. Sudhir, a professor at the School of Business. “With the advent of generative AI and other AI technologies, we predict that the demand for CS graduates will increase.While graduates may not be doing the exact same jobs as before, they will be able to use their talents to The demand for will increase significantly.”

Yale University’s Department of Computer Science was founded in 1969.