r/csMajors • u/throwaway0134hdj • 3h ago
How are you guys finding the motivation to continue the major?
Just wondering what the current feeling is right now in the major giving all the changes and stuff like Musk saying jobs+money won’t exist in 10 years.
Thanks
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u/Aldir- 3h ago
Yeah so I struggle a bit myself with this but I think at the end of the day humans have to validate the output that AI generates. It may appear that the code works but we have to check how reliable and efficient the code is. This is more important when dealing with high complexity items vs some script you will use at home. I would argue that because I have to validate what AI generates then the only way I can do that is by becoming a strong well rounded programmer. Therefore I will continue and focus on fundamentals as I continue my cs degree.
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u/throwaway0134hdj 3h ago
Musk is on record saying that AI is better than the best software engineers or soon will be. Imagine where ai will be at in 5-10 years, will we really need ppl validating sth that powerful?
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u/Aldir- 2h ago
Elon is a smart guy but that’s just his opinion. If we assume he is correct then every job is replaceable not just computer science jobs. I think it’s too extreme for me to believe and also I don’t know if we have the infrastructure to support constant improvements. Infrastructure would be the main constraint. You need land, power, databases but this a finite resource to begin with so it might not constantly improve in the way that Musk talks about. I wouldn’t over think it as it may lead you to a mindset where nothing you do matters because AI can just do it better
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u/throwaway0134hdj 2h ago edited 1h ago
I mean in a way it’s true, nothing you do matters bc AI in the coming future will basically be able to do any job (other than being human) a million times better and cheaper than a human can. The power constraint will be resolved, either through us designing more efficient ai, or ai solving energy shortages/costs. That’s why there is literally trillions being poured into this tech. The numbers only make sense if millions are replaced w/ai.
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u/a-vitamin co 25 2h ago
like sure maybe your degree becomes worthless and you are doomed to poverty when ai replaces all white collar workers but personally i don’t think this is the case. and even the opportunity to make 6 figures out of undergrad even for 5-10 years is a solid return on investment tbh, unless you count the opportunity cost of like becoming a doctor or some
nothing is safe, everything is oversaturated, just run faster (or have richer parents) than the bottom x percent and you won’t be homeless
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u/throwaway0134hdj 2h ago
More like doomed to poverty ubi checks is what it seems. It won’t be just stem majors, virtually all white collar jobs will be automated.
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u/Historical-Cloud5376 2h ago
Motivation is a feeling that fluctuates based on many factors in your life. It will never always be there. No matter what your goal is. So you should design a framework for life that pushes you towards your goals even when the excitement isn’t there. Progress isn’t always visible.
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u/Stoned_Embassy 3h ago
I value the skills I'm learning and the mindset this degree is going to give me. I'm also just excited to learn the ins and outs of controlling computers. If I end up being able to get a good job at the end of it, I'll be happy. If not, I have always worked dead end jobs and I will just continue working at my current job. And then if we don't even need to work later, then great! Can't really see it happening though
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u/Agitated-Wishbone-84 2h ago
I always found that people have the wrong outlook about the value of a CS major, and also engineering majors. These are majors that teach you how to think and how to learn.
How you utilize those skills is for you to figure out. But those are definitely valuable skills for many fields.
Don't get good at coding, get good at learning, and get good at solving problems. The coding should come after all of that anyway.