Kids Still Need to Learn to Code in the AI Era

The public narrative about the value of a computer science degree has long centered around the promise of six-figure salaries and a secure career path. Today, headlines about a computer science education tell a different story—one where coding is no longer a guaranteed pathway to jobs.  While we have seen first-hand how recent college graduates are struggling to find their first jobs, centering the currently declining career value of a computer science education ignores the broader story of its urgent utility in young people’s lives. When we discourage young people from learning to code or pursuing computer science, we limit their agency and abilities in a world where tech literacy is increasingly essential across all industries.  Learning to code has never been a golden ticket to professional success. Students apply the coding skills they learn to different disciplines, industries, and endeavors in their lives. Tech literacy is not just coding skills, but capabilities like computational and critical thinking that help students build confidence and trust their voices.  The rise of AI has caused a rapid decline in entry-level tech jobs for young people. Consequently, in addition to computer science graduates not landing the coveted jobs they anticipated, they have fewer opportunities to shape AI ’s development and engage with AI in the workplace. The result: a generation gap in AI. A generation of young people are being told AI is the future, but they are excluded from the rooms where it is being created and used. We need these voices and this talent to shape the future of this critical technology. Young people should help determine how fair, ethical and useful AI will actually be.  Tejasvi and Trisha are two of the many students in our community who have used their computer science skills to solve complex problems facing their friends, their communities, and the world. Tejasvi Manoj was recently named TIME Kid Of The Year for her startup Shield Seniors, an initiative that uses AI to protect seniors from cybercrimes. Trisha Prabhu was featured on Shark Tank for her app ReThink, which uses AI to detect and prevent cyberbullying. Tejasvi and Trisha embody the unique perspective, energy, and ambition of young people that emerging tech needs to devise innovative solutions to big challenges.  We are in a moment of opportunity, not only for our young people, but for AI. We need our young people involved if we want AI to be shaped by the boldest and brightest and solve society’s most intractable problems. Youth perspective is crucial to the future of AI, and a computer science education will be critical to empowering our young people.  Every day, workers use computer science in industries ranging from financial services, international relations, art, to healthcare. They are a testament to the discipline’s reach and relevance. We need to elevate and amplify young people’s achievements and actively counter a narrative of helplessness and disempowerment. Young people need our encouragement and guidance as the tech job landscape is shifting. We must advocate for them to have opportunities to learn the skills and build the tools they need to solve the problems of today and prepare for the jobs of tomorrow.