- Insights This article was written by a TIA community member. Insights pieces undergo the same rigorous editorial process that newsroom-produced articles have.
Peter Cowan · · 5 min readAI isn’t the end of coding, but of bad computer science training
Worried AI might take your job? For computer science (CS) students, a scarier question looms: Does AI make their degree obsolete?
CS students worldwide are grappling with the reality that generative AI has become effective at coding. The fear of becoming redundant is acute in Singapore, where the number of students enrolled in CS courses has soared, while the graduate employment rate hovers around 50%.
To find out how CS students in Singapore – and worldwide – should adapt to the AI era, Tech in Asia spoke with Sarup Banskota, CEO of CodeCrafters, a Y Combinator-backed startup focused on helping software engineers improve their craft. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
CodeCrafters co-founder and CEO Sarup Banskota / Photo credit: CodeCrafters
Lots of CS students are freaking out about AI and job hunting. Which fears are justified and which are overblown?
If you’re treating a CS degree as a step-by-step playbook to land a job, that approach is in trouble. AI excels at repeatable, well-scoped tasks – exactly the kind that traditional CS curricula are too focused on.
If something can be taught in a fixed manner and executed predictably, it’s the perfect candidate for automation. Large language models will do it faster, better, and cheaper.
That said, some parts of the programming workflow have been improved significantly with AI. Code completion tools like Cursor’s “tab to complete” function, which allows users to use the tab key to accept AI-suggested code completions, let users become more productive in doing mainstream tasks. My CTO uses this tool regularly to save time.
See also: Instagram co-founder backs startup helping devs fend off AI
On the other hand, the fear that there’s no future for engineers is nonsense. What changes is what gets valued.
When AI can write decent code, human clarity becomes the differentiator: clarity on what problem you’re solving, how to break it down, what to focus on, and what not to build.
Taste and prioritization matter. Engineers who can think clearly and build with intent will become more valuable.
What are some common ways CS students are spending their time today that might be outdated or inefficient?
The biggest inefficiency isn’t a specific tool or habit. Instead, it’s the mindset of trying to reverse-engineer your way into a job, which is my biggest pet peeve about the traditional CS education system.
Stay ahead in Asia’s tech landscape
This is premium content. Subscribe to read the full story.
As AI gets better at coding, CS students are questioning the value of their degrees. We ask an edtech founder training top engineers which skills matter most.
We know this is not ideal. ⌛ Sign up in 20 seconds. Cancel anytime.
Our subscriber community includes professionals from these companies:
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
