Geoffrey Hinton, best known as the “Godfather of AI,” is pushing back against the growing belief that artificial intelligence is making computer science degrees obsolete. Speaking to Business Insider, Geoffrey Hinton argued that while AI is rapidly transforming coding jobs, now is not the time for students to abandon computer science as a field of study.
As agentic AI tools become more capable—handling everything from writing code to debugging software—many students are questioning whether a computer science (CS) degree is still worth the effort. Hinton’s answer is clear: yes, but for reasons that go far beyond programming alone.
Godfather of AI says Coding Is Only Part of Computer Science
“Many people think a CS degree is just programming or something,” Hinton told Business Insider. “Obviously, just being a competent mid-level programmer is not going to be a career for much longer, because AI can do that.”
According to the Godfather of AI, this misconception misses the deeper value of computer science education. A CS degree is not simply vocational training in writing code—it is about how to think.
