In a significant intervention for India's vast student and tech professional community, Geoffrey Hinton, the celebrated 'Godfather of Artificial Intelligence', has offered crucial career advice. He strongly recommends that aspiring engineers and students should not abandon their pursuit of computer science degrees, even as artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the coding landscape.
The Enduring Value of a Computer Science Foundation
Speaking in an interview with Business Insider, Hinton addressed a growing concern: is a traditional CS degree becoming obsolete due to AI's coding capabilities? He firmly dismissed this notion, clarifying that the discipline's scope is far broader than just programming. "Many people think a CS degree is just programming or something. Obviously, just being a competent mid-level programmer is not going to be a career for much longer, because AI can do that," Hinton stated.
He elaborated that the core value of such an education lies in the foundational skills it imparts. These include systems thinking, advanced mathematics, and structured problem-solving—abilities that will remain critical for decades. "A CS degree will be valuable for quite a long time," Hinton asserted, highlighting its role in preparing minds for complex technological challenges beyond mere code generation.
Advice for School Students and Aspiring AI Experts
Hinton extended his guidance to younger learners in middle and high school, encouraging them to learn coding. He drew an interesting parallel to studying Latin in the humanities. "You’re never going to speak Latin, but it’s still useful learning Latin," he said, suggesting that coding serves as a valuable intellectual exercise that trains logical thinking, even if AI automates the bulk of practical coding work in the future.
For those aiming to become AI researchers and engineers, Hinton pinpointed the evergreen skills they must cultivate. He advised a sharp focus on critical thinking and core mathematical competencies. "Some skills that are always going to be valuable, like knowing some math, statistics, probability theory, and linear algebra. That’s not knowledge that’s going to disappear," he emphasised. This insight is particularly relevant for the Indian education system, which produces millions of STEM graduates annually.
Hinton's Verdict: Google is Catching Up to OpenAI
In the same interview, Hinton also weighed in on the fiercely competitive AI landscape, declaring that Google is finally beginning to overtake OpenAI. The professor emeritus at the University of Toronto and former Google Brain expert expressed surprise at the time it took. "I think it's actually more surprising that it's taken this long for Google to overtake OpenAI. I think that right now they're beginning to overtake it," he told Business Insider.
This assessment follows the impressive launch of Google's Gemini 3 model, an update that many industry observers believe has pushed the company ahead of OpenAI's latest offerings, including GPT-5. Hinton's comments signal a potential shift in the dynamics of the AI race, with Google leveraging its vast resources and research to close the gap.
For students across India navigating their career choices in technology, Hinton's dual message is clear: the fundamentals of a computer science education are a safe long-term investment, while the frontier of AI development is witnessing a pivotal moment with Google's resurgence.
