As a computer science and math major, the use of AI is almost always a given, or it is simply assumed that students will have consulted it in some way.
AI developments have arguably had one of the most drastic effects on the computer science field as a whole. There are even specific programs within coding platforms that use AI to assist in the writing of code and the process of debugging that code. While I do think that recognizing the role AI plays in this field and the meaningful time it saves is important, this comes with a level of responsibility that I have not seen many take on.Writing code solely by hand has become an increasingly difficult position to maintain, particularly because refusing to use AI support will, in turn, cause you to fall behind in productivity for many computer science jobs. That being said, in a learning environment, I find it incredibly important for students to know how they would solve the problem, even if it may be able to be solved by AI. Witnessing the shift in work ethic and knowledge within my computer science courses has been disheartening.
In recent years, I have faced many questions from people about whether I am worried about AI taking over my intended career. To this, I would say that my worries for the field overall have significantly increased and I find myself questioning the positives still present. However, I don’t believe that these roles can ever fully be replaced by artificial intelligence because of the nuances in computer science tasks. Responding to vague task descriptions and design thinking are still the most important aspects of the jobs. There are also many examples of code working incorrectly, or code written by AI not solving problems in the most efficient manner.
Although AI can increase efficiency, I believe there are necessary steps to be taken toward accountability and education on the growing dangers. Especially if the technology remains unregulated.
