IBM Boss Says ,You Won’t Need Degree to Get a Job In tech , Thanks to AI

You might not need a computer science degree to work in tech anymore, according to IBM’s AI leader. Matthew Candy, who manages AI at IBM worldwide, mentioned to Fortune that thanks to AI, it will become simpler for people without technical expertise to create products.

“The process of generating ideas, testing them, and creating something will speed up significantly,” Candy mentioned in a Saturday story. “You can do this without having a computer science degree,” he added.

Impact of AI on Jobs and Skills

Candy suggests that as AI becomes more prominent, soft skills such as critical thinking and creativity will become highly valuable. “Questioning, creativity, and innovation skills will be crucial because I believe AI will create more space for creative thinking processes,” he explained to Fortune.

It’s not only tech jobs that will be impacted. Candy mentioned that progress in AI image generation could also influence those in the arts. “You can step into the shoes of a designer. You don’t have to be a graphic designer with an art degree to do these things,” Candy shared.

Candy’s comments align with what LinkedIn vice president Aneesh Raman stated in an interview on Microsoft’s podcast “Worklab” back in November. Raman shared with host Molly Wood that he anticipates the growing importance of soft skills over technical ones due to the rise of AI.

“The duration of relevance for a degree is decreasing quite significantly,” remarked Raman.

In March, Goldman Sachs released a report stating that AI could potentially disrupt more than 300 million jobs. IBM, where Candy works, announced in May that it would temporarily stop hiring for positions that AI might take over.

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