The Status Of Computer Science

There has been some heavy handwringing lately that the number of college students opting to major in computer science has taken a slight downward dip. This seems shocking given that computer science has been the darling of chosen majors in recent times. Nearly everyone has wanted to major in computer science. Doing so was exciting, cool, and held the promise of big bucks and a stellar career.

What’s going on?

Well, some ardently claim that AI is going to wipe out the field of computer science. AI is increasingly adept at generating code. All those millions of software engineers and computer programmers are presumably on the chopping block and will be summarily replaced by AI. Computer science is turning itself into a dead-end endeavor by creating automation that replaces the humans who made it all possible.

The sobering matter has a tinge of irony. Those who earlier flocked to computer science and perhaps got their golden ticket punched have ultimately done themselves in. Plus, all those in the pipeline of majoring in computer science are now in a dire situation. They are already essentially committed, and there is no easy way to back out.

Meanwhile, those students newly entering college are warily eyeing computer science. If the claims that AI is replacing human computer scientists are true, choosing such a major would seem quite foolhardy. Might as well find some other major that won’t be so severely impacted by AI.

Counterargument To The Perspective

Before I jump into the alternative majors that might be sought by students, it is worthwhile to consider whether the premise about computer science being eviscerated is a truism or a false assumption.

First, from a college viewpoint, the field of computer science as a chosen major has historically encountered numerous ups and downs. There have been periods of time when computer science was the hottest major in town, followed by a significant drop in computer science majors. If you look at the stats over a multi-decade time frame, computer science has been a roller coaster of everyone wanting on board and later shifting into only the diehards wanted in.

It could be that the marketplace is merely doing a typical momentary course correction and that we should not yell that the sky is falling due to a modest drop in enrollments.

Second, there is still a tremendous amount of work yet to be done to advance AI, and the question is who or what will accomplish this. Will AI be good enough to further advance itself? Or will we still need an ongoing supply of computer scientists to lead the way? Maybe computer scientists and AI are going to be the best of buddies, working hand-in-hand to elevate computer science to levels previously unimaginable and unattainable.

Third, those who deeply understand the inner workings of AI are presumably more adept at dealing with an AI-dominated world. Computer scientists understand algorithms, data, models, distributed systems, machine behavior, and so on. They are also capable of figuring out systems architectures, cybersecurity, and verification, and would seem to be our best means of thriving in an AI-centered civilization.

Fourth, it could be that AI has a bit of time to go before it gets fully capable. In the interim, computer scientists will continue to have their heyday. The idea is that you can ride the wave and, at the same time, be looking further down the pike, preparing for what might arise in the future. Giving up the money wagon now could be premature. Hindsight might be a kicker that those who pulled the ripcord on a major in computer science hastily missed the boat.

The Claimed Next Best Choice

In the camp that says computer science as a major is doomed, there is an interesting assertion of what the next best choice alternative consists of. The claim is that selecting a major in philosophy is the right way to go.

This suggestion has many rolling their eyes.

Philosophy? You want students to major in philosophy? Is this your sincere suggestion in a world of hard knocks? The notion of philosophy as a focus for four years of college seems wildly out of touch. What kind of job can a philosophy major inevitably get? Is this recommendation merely a brazen attempt to steer students toward a major that has lost most of its glow and even become the butt of jokes about what a student did while in college?

Cynics say this would be a dream come true for professors of philosophy and entire departments of philosophy, including a cushy overflow into the liberal arts all told. Students have been steering away in droves from those fields. The realization has been that though those topics are mentally fulfilling and intellectually challenging, the result is that you end up unemployed or underemployed and must take jobs that fail to leverage your learned acumen.

Imagine if all those undecided students who are mulling over taking computer science were to suddenly gravitate to the philosophy realm. Huge enrollments in those otherwise nearly empty classes would ensue. Funding would flow aplenty. Philosophy comes back on top as the major of supreme choice. It is an amazing arc of redemption.

The Logic For Majoring In Philosophy

Let’s set aside whatever motivations might be involved and instead concentrate on the crucial underlying premise that philosophy is a wise choice when it comes to choosing an AI-era major. What is the underlying logical argument for choosing philosophy?

The gist is this. The key element that humans will possess that AI cannot replicate is the ability to employ genuine human reasoning. The domain of philosophy educates and inspires students to analyze assumptions, find hidden premises, cope with ambiguity, and use their minds to the fullest feasible extent.

AI can only produce code, generate essays that are repetitive and considered AI slop, and otherwise perform routinized tasks. We will desperately need humans who can set goals, identify contradictions, define ethical boundaries, and do the true and creative thinking that AI isn’t going to replace.

Being deeply philosophical will be a standout.

Governments, companies, courts, militaries, and international organizations increasingly are going to need people who can think rigorously. The economic value of humans who imbue philosophical reasoning is going to skyrocket. AI will do the grunt work. We need humans to decide what AI is going to do. Philosophy is a uniquely human element, and those humans well-versed in philosophy will be worth their weight in gold.

Harsh Counterarguments Arise

Those upbeat points for philosophy are heartwarming and abundantly encouraging. The logic seems quite compelling. Might as well let AI do what AI does best, while focusing on doing what humans do best. Makes perfectly good sense.

Hold on, say those who believe this is a bit of a one-sided argument. There are two sides to every coin. Please be fair and show the other side of the coin.

First, there is no particular proof that AI cannot philosophize. You can ask modern-era generative AI and large language models (LLMs) to spout philosophy. AI will readily do so. Studies have demonstrated the capability of AI to engage in dialectical exchanges, produce coherent philosophical prose, compare ethical theories, and perform abstract reasoning.

AI right now doesn’t embody lived experience, nor contains consciousness, but the question remains whether those human properties are a requisite and the only path to acting philosophically. In short, philosophical work can be performed by AI.

Yes, humans can philosophize. But so can AI.

More To This Than Meets The Eye

There’s more afoot.

Those humans who currently get degrees in philosophy tend to find gainful employment not because organizations need philosophers, but because companies want people who have strong writing skills, can do analyses, think in abstractions, and have heightened communication skills. The trouble there is that those skills are directly in the bailiwick of AI.

Widespread use of AI will reduce the heretofore premium that went to humans with skills in writing and synthesis. Any human who has access to AI can write with perfection and communicate with top-notch aplomb. The value of philosophy splinters when AI acts in unison with humans.

Next, for those who are proud of being in computer science, it seems exceedingly insulting to suggest that majoring in computer science is somehow producing inferior forms of reasoning and thinking, in contrast to majoring in philosophy. Really? Do you think that computer science majors only know coding? Come on, be sensible, they get a suitable dabbling of philosophy while in college, and must craft strong logic-based and mental reasoning skills during their computer science degree pursuits. Do not belittle computer science majors just to win an argument.

Finally, some assert that in this quarrel of philosophy-is-best, we are blindly romanticizing the uniqueness of humans as thinkers. This has been a common refrain throughout the emergence of new technology. Recall that we have been repeatedly told in the past that computers can’t play chess at a human level because computers aren’t as smart as humans. Computers can’t compose music as solidly as humans. Computers can’t do this or that. Those once wise words are no longer holding water.

Splitting The Difference

Wait for a second, some decry, maybe we are getting caught in a classic mindset of a false dichotomy. The debate is narrowly framed as to whether a student should pick either a computer science major or a philosophy major. They must make an unbearable life-determining choice.

Why not split the difference?

In most colleges, students can declare a dual major consisting of both computer science and philosophy. They might conceivably get them the best of both worlds. After graduation, perhaps computer science gets them underway at the start of their career, and then, once AI fully takes off, the philosophy side kicks into gear. Computer science was here and now. Philosophy was their safety protection for the future.

Or the whole matter might be upside down.

Maybe AI is so top-of-mind currently that computer science momentarily languishes, while philosophy skills are the vital talent to possess. It could later turn out that society misjudged the lack of need for computer science, and the field roars back into existence. The dual major sets up students for the chance that computer science comes back to the fore like the return of the Jedi.

Other Possible Majors

Other disciplines and domains are highly exasperated and frustrated that somehow philosophy is getting a moment in the sun to the exclusion of other bona fide majors that ought to be given due consideration.

Cognitive science might be a fine major in this burgeoning AI era. A robust cognitive science degree consists of studying human behavior, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, computer science, and the like.

Psychology could be an especially valuable field when it comes to dealing with a world inhabited by AI. Sure, AI can perform mental health advisement, but humans are bound to still seek out fellow humans for their psychological well-being and support.

Political science remains a strong contender. How shall humans govern AI? What is to be done about AI sovereignty? Can we keep AI from becoming an existential risk that wipes out humankind?

There are sound cases to be made for a plethora of college majors.

The Optimization Problem

Students pursuing a college degree these days are faced with a huge quandary. Picking a major can no longer be made by happenstance, nor necessarily by passion or interest. That would be nice if that’s how things worked. This harks back to the days when everyone selected a major that spoke to them. Any degree was good enough. The major was not a big deal.

Sorry to say, the real world is no longer that compassionate. What will you do with your degree? How did the major you selected prepare you to earn a living? If your degree is purely mental fulfillment, that’s probably not enough to survive in the cruel world.

Some are upset that we force young people to make a harrowing decision in college that is likely to shape the rest of their lives. It seems sad that immediate employability appears to be the optimizing factor. A young adult should be given time to find themselves. Kick the tires on a wide array of subjects. Hone their intellectual capacities.

The Secret Is This

Here’s the new secret about choosing a college major.

The new calculus is to choose a field where AI amplifies your capabilities faster than AI commoditizes them. Think carefully about that. Don’t become fixated on which field is the least automatable. You can’t win on that.

This is reminiscent of the famed adage about two people in the woods. They see a bear approaching them. One of them starts running immediately. The other person yells out loudly that it’s not possible to outrun a bear. The notable reply by the running person is that they aren’t trying to outrun the bear; they are instead outrunning the other person. Boom, drop the mic.

Remember most of all, Aristotle taught us this handy rule of life: “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”