By Dr. Claude Wang
(Founder and Chairman of USJ and ALLCPR)
Abstract
This article analyzes case studies of the “sudden changes” in employment for IT majors in the AI era, summarizes four key factors, and proposes corresponding solutions. Through the case study of the University of San Jose (USJ) in Silicon Valley, USA, it is evident that the future of IT majors will embrace a “generalized” development trend, where “every major must integrate with IT,” and “IT majors must merge with specific application scenarios (such as a minor in another field).”
1. Introduction
The AI revolution, led by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, is sweeping across industries worldwide. The emergence of Gemini, DeepSeek, and other AI models has shocked the industry. Humanoid robots are becoming increasingly indistinguishable from humans, and the development of Personal AI Agents is progressing rapidly. Humanity is entering another major AI-driven transformation.
At the same time, the education industry, closely tied to AI, is experiencing a series of shocking developments. Reports indicate that humanities majors are facing declining interest, a well-known Chinese university’s architecture program had only four new students in 2024[1], and a professor from a top American university revealed that even computer science (CS) graduates from prestigious schools struggle to find jobs[2]. While the cooling of humanities majors can be linked to the rise of large AI models, and architecture’s decline may be due to economic conditions, the employment difficulties in CS raise questions: Is it a case of “apparent cooling but actual heating” or “apparent heating but actual cooling”?
Undeniably, global tech companies have undergone significant layoffs in 2024[3]. Statistics show that over 137,000 employees in the tech sector were laid off, reducing employment in the high-tech industry despite its expansion, causing widespread concern.
2. Problem Statement
On one hand, AI is being rapidly adopted across industries, making AI “hot.” AI applications, including robotics, mechanical arms, ChatGPT, and APIs, are integrating with traditional industries like manufacturing, transportation, media, and healthcare, reshaping labor divisions across society.
On the other hand, employment in some CS-related IT fields appears to be “cooling.” The era where software engineers, network engineers, and general CS graduates could easily secure multiple job offers is fading. Many students now struggle to find jobs that align with their expertise.
Traditional IT roles, such as programming, network maintenance, and software development, are shrinking. To secure employment, IT professionals must not only master AI and IT skills but also develop the ability to solve real-world problems and apply IT and AI technologies to empower traditional industries.
Is it that IT curricula are outdated, or has the IT major itself become obsolete? We analyze this issue below.
3. Main Reasons for the Decline in IT Employment (Including CS and SE majors)
The AI era has brought unprecedented changes to the IT industry, creating challenges for computer science education. Even top-tier university graduates with high GPAs face unemployment. The key reasons include:
1. Lowered IT Knowledge Barriers – AI Replacing Traditional Coding
The rapid development of AI has automated many basic coding tasks. Large language models like ChatGPT and Copilot can now generate high-quality code, reducing the demand for junior programmers. Tasks such as code completion, debugging, and optimization are now assisted or entirely handled by AI. Programmers have become “reviewers” or “validators,” while network engineers’ roles are being replaced by APIs. Many feel there is “no need to study IT anymore.”
2. Rise of Outsourcing and Flexible Work – Increasing Job Competition
To cut costs, companies are outsourcing software development to lower-wage countries such as India, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, reducing local entry-level job opportunities. Additionally, remote work has encouraged businesses to hire global freelancers rather than full-time employees, intensifying competition for new graduates.
3. AI-Driven Industry Integration Leading to Mass Layoffs
The rapid advancement of AI models has significantly disrupted traditional publishing, editing, and creative industries. AI-powered robots and automation (e.g., delivery robots, autonomous drones, and AI-driven services) are reshaping service and production industries. In 2024 alone, the global tech industry laid off over 137,000 employees, and traditional companies are downsizing in favor of AI-driven efficiencies, reducing the demand for conventional IT roles.
4. Higher Skill Requirements for IT Professionals
With AI lowering the technical barrier to entry, non-IT students can now use IT tools effectively. Traditional IT professionals face significant interdisciplinary and soft-skill challenges. Pure coding, software development, or network management skills are no longer sufficient. Employers now seek candidates with AI expertise, data analytics skills, product-thinking abilities, strong communication skills, and domain-specific knowledge. IT graduates who focus solely on IT skills may find themselves at a disadvantage in the job market.
4. Countermeasures: The “Generalization” of IT Majors
Analyzing the current job market, rather than saying “IT majors are cooling down,” it is more accurate to say “IT majors are becoming generalized.” In other words, every major must now incorporate IT skills. The evidence for this lies in AI empowering traditional industries—every sector now requires AI technology.
For individual students, computer science students must adjust their learning strategies. Their studies must be integrated with specific AI application scenarios, meaning they must pursue minors to develop interdisciplinary expertise and gain a competitive advantage in the job market. Ultimately, all majors must integrate with IT, equipping students with AI fundamentals to enhance their employability.
Key Strategies for Students and Universities:
- Enhance AI Skills
- Master AI development, machine learning, and big data analytics, rather than just traditional software development skills.
- Develop Interdisciplinary Competence
- Combine computer science knowledge with business, finance, healthcare, and engineering to increase competitiveness.
- Strengthen Soft Skills
- Focus on communication, project management, teamwork, and innovation—these will become key differentiators in future employment.
- Stay Updated on Industry Trends and AI Integration
- Understand corporate demands, participate in open-source projects, internships, and entrepreneurial ventures to gain hands-on experience.
In summary, while IT graduates face increasing employment pressure, the demand for AI expertise and IT technology remains strong. The key challenge for IT majors is the timely adjustment of curriculum content and development direction to meet new industry demands. If IT education keeps pace with technological advancements, emphasizing AI applications and interdisciplinary integration, the field will remain full of opportunities.
5. USJ’s UPaiA Project Implementation
USJ, located in San Jose, Silicon Valley, is authorized to grant master’s degrees and has received BPPE and ACCSC-I accreditation[4]. USJ offers an MSCS master’s degree program, but its greatest challenge is students’ employment concerns. Since USJ has only been established for ten years, its reputation and social influence are relatively limited. To address students’ concerns, USJ has actively generalized the IT major. First, the MSCS program has been integrated with applications in the healthcare industry. Second, MBA students are required to learn AI application technologies.
USJ, in collaboration with Gosvea, has developed “UPaiA”[5] (USJ Personal AI Agent), which is currently applied in the ALLCPR community emergency training chain with great success.[6]
Every MSCS student at USJ must master the development and operation of UPaiA, while every MBA student must learn how to operate UPaiA within a specific application scenario (such as financial planning, real estate brokerage, elder care, etc.). Personal AI Agents are entering a period of rapid growth, and their future potential is vast.
Through the UPaiA project, the following educational objectives can be achieved, enhancing students’ employability:
1. Master Basic AI Agent Skills
- AI agents will better understand users’ needs, behavioral habits, and interests, providing highly personalized services.
- Multi-modal AI (text, voice, image, and video integration) will enhance interaction experiences, making AI agents more naturally integrated into daily life and work.
2. Focus on Specific Application Scenarios and Practical Learning
- Business and Office AI Agents: Handling emails, scheduling, document management, market analysis, legal consultation, etc.
- Healthcare AI Agents: Personalized health recommendations, remote medical consultations, mental health counseling.
- Education and Training AI Agents: Personalized learning plans, intelligent tutoring, language translation.
- Smart Home and IoT AI Agents: Controlling appliances, optimizing energy usage, automated management.
- Content Creation AI Agents: AI-generated text, images, and videos, assisting in writing, programming, and design.
- Customer Service AI Agents: Automated responses via SMS, email, and phone.
3. Enhancing Personal Empowerment and Market Competitiveness in Specific Employment Scenarios
By participating in the UPaiA project, students gain both AI agent development skills and the ability to apply AI in specific scenarios. This enables graduates to secure jobs immediately upon graduation—an advantage traditional IT education does not offer. Additionally, students acquire AI agent comprehension abilities, allowing them to establish more natural human-machine relationships. In the future, AI agents will not only function as personal assistants but also collaborate with other AI agents to provide more comprehensive services.
4. Industry-Academia Integration and Market Opportunities
The general AI agent technology architecture of UPaiA can be applied to various scenarios, including:
- Subscription-based Services (SaaS Model): AI assistant subscriptions, value-added paid features.
- Customized AI Assistants for SMEs: Providing tailored AI solutions to improve business efficiency.
6. Conclusion
Personal AI Agents are at the beginning of exponential growth, and in the future, everyone will need an AI assistant. IT majors must integrate with traditional domains, while all other majors must incorporate IT skills. IT education must evolve to meet new industry demands.
IT remains a promising field, but its curriculum and structure must adapt to continuous technological advancements and industry changes.
Reference
1 NEWS.QQ.COM
2 https://www.yahoo.com/news/uc-berkeley-professor-warns-even-212928726.html
Thu, November 21, 2024, at 1:29 PM PST
3 https://www.199it.com/archives/1726099.html Nov 10 2024 Global Economic
About USJ
The University of San Jose (USJ, BPPE School Code: 90920164, ACCSC-I School Code: M074047) is a non-profit private university located in San Jose, California, founded in November 2016. In 2021, USJ was approved by California’s BPPE and granted the authority to offer MBA (Master of Business Administration) and MSCS (Master of Science in Computer Science) master’s programs. In December 2024, USJ successfully completed Part I of the ACCSC accreditation process (School Code: M074047), ensuring that its programs meet the rigorous standards set by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.
USJ is a licensed CPR training partner with the American Red Cross, a BLS training organization of the American Heart Association (AHA), and a certification organization for the U.S. Presidential Volunteer Service Award. USJ currently has credit recognition agreements with WJU, LU, and PU. Guided by its motto, “Freedom through the truth for service,” USJ is committed to building a modern university with Silicon Valley characteristics (ITTTES).
In the era of AI, USJ is dedicated to offering AI-enhanced degree programs and AI-driven career services. USJ has launched the “USJ Personal AI Agent” (UPAIA) career advancement service. Every USJ student will receive their own UPAIA( Personal AI Digital Agent), enabling them to “multiply their capabilities” and achieve the productivity of ten people, delivering exceptional work performance and becoming champions in the AI-driven workplace!
USJ’s faculty members come from leading creative enterprises and universities in Silicon Valley. The university strives to build its strength in technology and human resources to give back to the community. USJ actively supports students in launching their own businesses and innovations, collaborating with Silicon Valley’s innovative organizations to establish a business incubator zone, helping students achieve comprehensive development in education, professionalism, and entrepreneurship.
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