In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly revolutionising industries, the chief product officer at Microsoft has urged students worldwide, including those in Thailand, to continue prioritising computer science and coding education. Her remarks challenge growing beliefs that software engineering may soon become obsolete due to AI’s accelerating capabilities, underscoring that computing skills remain essential for the next generation of Thai professionals.
The comments, made during a recent episode of “Lenny’s Podcast” and reported by Business Insider, directly refute notions that traditional programming will soon be unnecessary. The Microsoft executive, who oversees consumer and enterprise technology experiences, emphasized, “A lot of folks think about, ‘Oh, don’t bother studying computer science or coding is dead,’ and I just fundamentally disagree.”
This debate has special significance for Thai educators, policymakers, and parents eager to prepare students for a rapidly shifting job market. Recent years have witnessed swelling public and private investment in AI-integrated education, with several universities and international schools in Bangkok and beyond launching AI-focused curriculums. However, there is mounting anxiety, also echoed in Thai tech forums and education seminars, over whether coding as a skill will soon become redundant—or if deeper computer science knowledge might remain a critical building block for young Thais.
The Microsoft executive contextualised this dilemma by highlighting how programming has always involved ever-greater layers of abstraction. She explained, “We don’t program in assembly anymore. Most of us don’t even program in C, and then you’re kind of higher and higher layers of abstraction. So to me, they will be ways that you will tell the computer what to do, right? It’ll just be at a much higher level of abstraction, which is great. It democratizes.” This insight mirrors the evolution of Thailand’s own software development sector, which transitioned from early, hardware-level coding in the 1980s to today’s emphasis on app and cloud solutions using streamlined platforms.
Recent fears that AI could hurl software engineers into obsolescence—by automatically generating code and building applications—have prompted parents and students to rethink education paths. Studies such as a 2024 World Economic Forum report and research published in PLOS ONE have reinforced the notion that adaptability, computational thinking, and creative problem-solving will accompany coding as vital skills. Yet, as the Microsoft executive noted, “There’ll be an order of magnitude more software operators. Instead of ‘SWEs,’ maybe we’ll have ‘SOs,’ but that doesn’t mean you don’t understand computer science, and it’s a way of thinking, and it’s a mental model. So I strongly disagree with the whole, ‘Coding is dead.’”
For Thailand, where the government is accelerating its “Thailand 4.0” digital economy strategy, these insights are not simply theoretical. The Ministry of Education has already mandated computational thinking modules in many public schools, and digital literacy is now part of the national curriculum. University leaders from Chulalongkorn and Mahidol have repeatedly flagged, in panel discussions and advisory statements, that computer science fundamentals underpin the country’s progress toward smart manufacturing, fintech, and agritech innovation—sectors central to the nation’s economic roadmap (Bangkok Post).
The Microsoft executive’s remarks further highlight the likely transformation rather than eradication of traditional technology roles. “As for the fate of project managers, who are subject, like many other middle managers, to Big Tech’s ‘great flattening,’ [she] expects them to endure, albeit with modified responsibilities. Taste…will be more important than ever,” reports Business Insider. In essence, as AI enables the supply of ideas and prototypes to skyrocket—requiring less time and technical expertise to bring a digital product to life—the most successful professionals will be distinguished by their ability to edit, curate, and shepherd the best concepts to fruition.
This perspective is mirrored in Thai startup circles where local accelerators, such as True Digital Park, now emphasise digital product management and design sensibility, not only technical prowess. “We’re seeing that AI actually increases the need for strong human judgment—those who can select and improve the right idea, not just generate many of them,” one Bangkok-based innovation hub director explained during Thailand Tech Conference 2024.
Historically, Thailand’s reverence for education, especially in science and engineering, has propelled generations into IT and engineering roles across ASEAN. However, cultural respect for expertise can sometimes clash with newer, flatter management models influenced by Western tech enterprises. The Microsoft executive observed this, noting, “There is a role for that editing function, but you have to earn it now.” For Thai project managers and team leaders, the implication is clear: their value will stem less from overseeing every step, and more from having refined taste, strategic vision, and the trust of technical teams.
Looking ahead, the intersection of AI and education is forecast by UNESCO and the OECD to only become more pronounced in Southeast Asia. Thailand’s ability to adapt—by rooting students in both the theoretical foundations of computer science and the new realities of AI-driven project workflows—will be vital. As the Microsoft CPO summarized, “It’s not that you don’t need to learn how to code; it’s that you need to understand the mental models and frameworks that computer science offers, even as the process gets easier on the surface.”
For Thai students and families considering an IT or tech career, the advice is practical: keep investing in coding, but also in broader analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills. The ability to adapt to higher levels of programming abstraction and to exercise critical judgment amid a sea of new ideas will make all the difference.
Education policy makers are urged to continue supporting robust computer science instruction, while integrating AI fluency, logical reasoning, and soft skill development at all levels. Thai youth can position themselves at the technological frontier by not picking either/or—AI or coding—but by mastering both in tandem for a digitally prosperous future.
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