Is a Computer Science Degree Worth It in 2025 with AI Taking Over Jobs?

Artificial intelligence is everywhere in 2025. Tools like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and Auto-GPT can already write code, debug programs, and even build apps in minutes. With AI automating so much, many students are asking: is a Computer Science degree still worth it today?

The answer isn’t simple. AI is changing the tech industry, but a CS degree still holds value—just in different ways than before. Let’s break it down.

Why People Say a CS Degree Might Not Be Worth It

AI can already code. Many entry-level programming tasks—writing functions, debugging errors, or creating small apps—can now be done with AI tools.
Fewer junior developer jobs. Some companies are hiring fewer fresh graduates since AI speeds up routine work.
Shifting expectations. Employers don’t just want coders anymore—they want problem-solvers who know how to use AI effectively.

Why a CS Degree Still Matters At The Moment

1. AI Doesn’t Know What Businesses Need

AI needs context it can’t access on its own
You could write very detailed prompts, but AI still doesn’t know the inside details of a company—its business goals, unique workflows, customer pain points, or legal constraints—unless a human gives it all that context first.

Prompts can’t cover everything
In real projects, there are tons of “unknowns” that pop up—unexpected bugs, hidden requirements, or changing business needs. Humans discover these as they work. An AI can’t prompt itself with questions it doesn’t even know to ask.

Decisions aren’t just technical
Companies don’t just want working code—they want the right features for growth, strategy, and user experience. Those decisions come from understanding people and markets, not just code generation.

2. AI Code Needs Oversight and Debugging

AI often makes mistakes, creates bugs, or misses details. Engineers are needed to check, fix, and make sure everything works properly.

4. AI Can’t Solve New Problems

AI tools (like GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT) can generate code quickly, but they often:

Miss context.
Introduce bugs.
Write insecure or inefficient solutions.

6. Companies Don’t Fully Trust AI Yet

Right now, AI is more like an assistant. Businesses don’t want to risk everything on it, so humans are still in charge. Until AI becomes reliable, explainable, and legally accepted as safe, humans will remain in charge.

Will AI Eventually Take Over Computer Science Completely?

Computer science is one of the most AI-impacted fields today. Tools like GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and automated testing frameworks already write code, debug, and even design architectures. So will AI eventually replace computer scientists entirely?

(In The Near Future) AI Won’t Fully Replace Computer Scientists

Complex Problem Solving: AI is excellent at coding small features, but designing entire systems, ensuring security, and scaling infrastructure requires human intuition and long-term planning.
Accountability: If an AI-written program fails—say, in banking or aviation—companies need human engineers to take responsibility and fix problems.
Interdisciplinary Knowledge: Computer science isn’t just “coding.” It involves math, algorithms, networking, hardware integration, ethics, and user experience—areas where human decision-making is crucial.

This means a single computer scientist in the future may be 10x more productive, but the human role doesn’t disappear—it just shifts to more high-level tasks. This will only increase as AI continues to improve.

(Eventually) AI is probably going to take over most of computer science

Self-Improving AI: If AI becomes advanced enough to design, build, and improve its own systems, humans may no longer be needed to write code.

Economic Incentives: Businesses will always prefer faster, cheaper, and more reliable solutions. If AI proves better at producing software than humans, companies will lean heavily on it.

The Bigger Picture: What If AI Really Does Take Over Software Engineering?

It’s easy to think of this issue as just about computer science students and tech jobs, but here’s the bigger realization: if AI ever reaches the point where it can completely replace software engineers, it won’t just stop there.

Think about it — software powers every industry. Banks, hospitals, airlines, logistics, retail, manufacturing, even governments — all run on code. If AI can write, fix, and run code entirely on its own, then:

Finance: AI could run trading systems, risk analysis, and fraud detection without human analysts.
Healthcare: AI could build medical diagnostic platforms, manage hospital systems, and even design new drugs.
Transportation & Logistics: From shipping algorithms to self-driving vehicles, entire industries could run without human programmers.
Manufacturing: Robotics controlled by AI-driven software could eliminate millions of jobs on factory floors.
And many many more…

In other words, if software engineers can be fully replaced, every industry that depends on software engineers also becomes replaceable.

🚨 But Here’s the Catch: Society Will Have to Adapt

This isn’t just about one career path. It’s about how society adapts when AI starts taking over the backbone of industries. If machines can do almost everything, we’ll need new systems for:

Work & Jobs: What kinds of new careers will exist when traditional ones disappear?
Education: What should schools teach if “learning to code” is no longer valuable?
Economy & Money: If millions lose jobs, how will people make a living? Ideas like Universal Basic Income (UBI) might move from theory to reality.
Identity & Purpose: Humans don’t just work for money; work gives us meaning. We’ll have to rethink what gives people purpose when AI does most of the producing.

FINAL TAKEAWAY

So… Should You Still Get a Computer Science Degree?

The short answer is: yes, it’s still fine.

Right now, computer science graduates are still in demand. Sure, AI has made the job market tougher — some entry-level coding tasks are being automated, and competition is stronger. But tech is still one of the best-paying and most versatile fields you can enter. A CS degree teaches you problem-solving, logic, and adaptability — skills that transfer across many careers.

And here’s the bigger perspective: if one day AI does replace software engineers completely, computer science won’t be the only field gone. Every industry that relies on software — finance, healthcare, transportation, manufacturing — would also be disrupted. At that point, the conversation won’t just be “Should I have studied CS?” but rather “How does society adapt when AI can do almost everything?”

So yes — go ahead and pursue computer science if it excites you. Just stay flexible, keep learning, and remember: the future of work will always reward those who adapt fastest.