Even though AI raises concerns about jobs, an OpenAI executive argues now is a fantastic moment to study computer science.

Alexander Embiricos, product lead for Codex at OpenAI, has encouraged students to pursue computer science even as reports of AI-related layoffs are becoming more frequent.  He said that rather than being afraid of AI, they should view it as a tool to be used for learning and development.

Speaking on the A16z podcast, Embiricos noted that the real risk for students today lies in avoiding AI during their studies. “The main place where I would be worried, if I was a student right now, is if I was studying CS and my college didn’t allow the use of any AI, because then I would just feel like I’m falling behind,” he said.

Despite rising concerns that AI could take over large chunks of coding work, Embiricos said the field of computer science continues to hold strong value. “I think it’s still a great time to major in CS. I think there’s going to be so much more software created and therefore so much more software engineers needed,” he said, adding that students should “figure out how to be using AI constantly while you do it.”

He explained that in hiring, what matters most to him is not a degree but whether applicants have actually built something. “When I look at new grad profiles, for me, the thing that I take the most signal from is if they’ve built something and if they’ve built something that’s linked from their profile,” he said.

Embiricos recommended that academic institutions balance AI-enabled learning with conventional teaching. According to him, certain courses should encourage students to use AI to produce projects or results, while others should concentrate on manual coding to boost confidence and teach the fundamentals.

Similar opinions have been expressed by other OpenAI voices. While researcher Szymon Sidor has encouraged high school students to continue learning to code even as AI tools get more sophisticated, chairman Bret Taylor has stated that a computer science degree is still helpful for cultivating “systems thinking.”