Nobody wants to be a computer scientist anymore because of artificial intelligence. For the first time in twenty years, the number of students enrolled in American universities has decreased.
For decades, computer engineering was one of the most popular university majors. It was a promising career path offering abundant job opportunities and rewarding salaries... until artificial intelligence emerged. Today, programmers are being laid off, and no new programmers are being hired, except for a small number who work as AI assistants, reviewing their work.
For the first time in 20 years, enrollment in computer science programs at the University of California, Berkeley, has declined. This trend is mirrored across the country: enrollment is either stagnating or decreasing, with no increase. Many students are dropping out, arguing that there's no point in studying for three years if artificial intelligence will ultimately replace them.
This year, 12,652 undergraduate students enrolled in computer engineering at the University of California, a 6% decrease from 2014 and a 9% decrease over the past two years. The economic downturn hasn't occurred in two decades, since the bursting of the dot-com bubble, which triggered a wave of closures and layoffs.
Is the computer science profession in danger because of artificial intelligence?
David Rinaldo, a consultant who works with high school students through his company College Zoom, explained to TechSpot that this trend is evident among his clients. "Parents used to strongly encourage their children to study computer science because it led directly to high-paying jobs. Now, many are pushing their children toward traditional engineering fields: electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and whatever seems more realistic."
This is a general trend. UCLA and UC Berkeley show similar data, with zero growth or a slight decline.
Here you can see the enrollment figures for computer engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1999 to 2025. 2002 saw a decline due to the collapse of the dot-com bubble, and now another decline began in 2023.
Artificial intelligence can now program at a level comparable to that of a professional computer scientist. While a computer science degree isn't limited to programming, AI is capable of performing almost all computer scientist tasks, from creating databases to diagnosing and fixing errors, managing computer system security, and more.
What worries university students is that companies are adopting a flawed first generation of artificial intelligence, leading to massive layoffs of programmers at major tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Google, and others. As AI continues to evolve, this situation will only worsen.
The only exception is the University of California, San Diego, the only university to have seen an increase in computer science enrollment... because it offers a degree focused on artificial intelligence, with courses on how machine learning works and how to use AI. This is what many fear: that computer scientists will end up as mere operators whose sole task is to ensure that AI doesn't make mistakes.
Despite this general decline, it must be said that computer engineering remains one of the most sought-after disciplines. However, its future is uncertain, and significant changes are inevitable.