Andrew Ng pushes back on AI job fears: 'This is the best time yet to learn to code'

With new AI chatbots released every week and new models seemingly by the day, it's an uncertain time to be a computer programmer - or consider entering the field. AI-assisted coding tools, from GitHub Copilot to ChatGPT-powered development, are capable of generating full applications with minimal human input. As automation advances, some question whether traditional programming skills will remain relevant.

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Credit: DeepLearningAI

Andrew Ng, the founder of DeepLearning AI and co-founder of Google Brain, Coursera, and an active Stanford professor, takes a different view. In a recent blog post, he argued that this is actually the best time to learn to code, dismissing claims that AI will make programming obsolete.

"Some people today are discouraging others from learning programming on the grounds AI will automate it. This advice will be seen as some of the worst career advice ever given," he said. "As these tools make coding easier, this is the best time yet to learn to code,"

The basis of this argument draws on some historical parallels. Back in the 1960s, when programming made the shift from punchcards to terminals - there were concerns regarding the evolving role of programmers. Particularly, the belief that higher-level languages and automation would eliminate programming jobs. This pattern has repeated for decades - from assembly to python, from raw code to AI-assisted development - each time, making coding easier, more accessible, and more valuable.

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Punched card era programming, 1970 (Credit: Bundesarchiv)

However, concerns about automation aren't new. Ng references Nobel Prize-winning AI researcher Herbert Simon, who, during the 1960s punchcard transition, predicted that programming as a profession could vanish.

"It is far more likely that the programming occupation will become extinct [...] than that it will become all-powerful. More and more, computers will program themselves."

Simon's prediction wasn't entirely unfounded. AI-generated code is improving rapidly, and the rise of "vibe-coding" - where developers rely on AI to handle most of the work - suggests that the role of programmers is evolving. But does that mean programming itself is becoming obsolete?

According to Ng, understanding the language of software will always remain valuable. Rather than replacing programmers, AI is shifting the focus to problem-solving, system design, and guiding AI-generated code.

"One of the most important skills in the future will be the ability to tell a computer exactly what you want, so it can do that for you."

Instead of eliminating programming, the argument is that AI makes it a higher level skill - where those who understand how to control and direct AI-powered development will have the greatest advantage.

Whether Ng's claims will turn out to be true remains to be seen. But as AI continues to change how code is generated and accessed, the barriers to becoming a developer are undoubtedly shifting.

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