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Hassabis says STEM makes AI users 10 times stronger
Demis Hassabis says deep STEM and software knowledge could make people 10 times more effective with AI tools.
Image: TNW
AI may change how people write software, but it will not erase the value of a STEM education, according to Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis. Speaking at a London business conference, in a video published on Wednesday, Hassabis said that understanding software fundamentals gives people a significant advantage when working with AI, Business Insider reported.
“You absolutely needed to lean into STEM and computer science.”
Hassabis described AI as the next programming language in a progression that runs from machine code to C and Python. The eventual interface, he suggested, could be plain English. But that shift will not eliminate the need to understand how software systems are designed and built.
“You’re still going to need to know about architecting things and best software engineering practices.” “Those people who understand the deep technical, they’ll be able to use these tools 10 times more effectively than people who don’t have that technical knowledge.”
Humanities and the backlash against vibe coding
Hassabis also argued that humanities subjects will become more important as technology advances, specifically mentioning philosophy and economics.
“The time is now for the humanities like philosophy, economics. I think we really need them in the world we’re about to enter.”
His comments join a broader pushback against the idea that vibe coding makes computer science degrees obsolete. Geoffrey Hinton, often called the godfather of AI, told Business Insider in December that a mid-level programming job “is not going to be a career for much longer, because AI can do that.” He nevertheless said a computer science degree is worth far more than coding and will remain useful “for quite a long time.”
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Affirm CEO Max Levchin has made a similar argument, saying on a podcast that computer science fundamentals separate good code from “garbage.” Microsoft’s Brad Smith and others have also offered reassurance to graduates concerned about AI’s impact on entry-level technical work.
Published July 17, 2026 - 10:18 am UTC
AI Editor
Ava covers the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, from foundational models and research labs to the real-world economics of intelligence. With a background in computational linguistics, she cuts through the hype to find out what actually works. She firmly believes that benchmarks are just marketing until reproduced in the wild.
via TNW
