27/05/2026
The Atlantic
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The days of computer-science grads being all but guaranteed cushy tech jobs may be coming to an end—but as learning to develop software becomes easier than ever, a new and golden age of studying computing may begin, Lila Shroff argues. https://theatln.tc/c7USQr7V
“Learning to code was supposed to be a ticket to a good tech job,” Shroff writes—and yet the “internet is littered with rants from newly minted programmers who can’t find work … The popular narrative around CS has flipped to such a degree that some Silicon Valley insiders are now actively discouraging people against the major.”
But despite such warnings, “the major’s waning relevance has been overstated,” Shroff argues. Although the unemployment rate for new CS grads is spiking, the grads still have “a relatively low rate of underemployment—that is, comparatively few are working in jobs that don’t usually require a college degree,” Shroff explains. “New computer-science grads are also still significantly outearning their peers.”
As the capability of artificial intelligence continues to improve, bots are likely to take on more sophisticated work. “But the decline of manual programming—that is, writing code by hand—doesn’t obviate the need for computer scientists,” Shroff argues. “With the AI revolution in full swing, we are hurtling toward a future in which even more of the global economy is mixed up with the software industry. If anything, the AI-ification of work seems likely to require more people who understand computer systems at a deep level.”
Across the tech industry, demand for mid- and senior-career engineers is rising. The trouble, Shroff argues, “is how to adjust today’s computer-science programs to equip students for work when the field is changing so fast—especially when entry-level coding jobs that once were guaranteed are now far less certain.”
🎨: The Atlantic
