If you want to work in tech, you may not need a computer science degree anymore. That’s what Matthew Candy, IBM’s global managing partner for generative AI, told Fortune in a recent interview. Candy said that AI would make it possible for anyone with an idea to create products without having to code.
“The speed at which people will be able to come up with an idea, to test the idea, to make something, it’s going to be so accelerated,” Candy said in the story. “You don’t need to have a degree in computer science to do that,” he added.
Instead of technical skills, Candy said that soft skills like creativity and innovation would be more valuable in the age of AI. “Questioning, creativity skills, and innovation are going to be hugely important because I think AI’s going to free up more capacity for creative thought processes,” he told the publication earlier.
But it’s not just the tech industry that will be affected by AI. Candy said that AI image-generation technology could also transform the arts. “You’re going to be able to take on the role of a designer. You don’t need to be a graphic designer and have an art degree to do these things,” he said.
Even as tech executives are welcoming the AI wave, the outlook of other working professionals is not as positive. A recent report by edtech startup Hero Vired revealed that 82% of professionals fear job redundancy amid AI advancement.
In fact, back in May of last year, IBM itself said they were considering a freeze on hiring people for jobs that AI could potentially do instead. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said in a Bloomberg interview that he sees 30% of the company’s back-office roles getting replaced by AI over a five-year period, which roughly amounted to over 7,800 positions.