Top Microsoft executive's BIG message for coders after company laid off over 6000 employees, says, 'Coding is...'

Amid the growing trend of AI in the world today, many claim that coding careers are obsolete now. However, Microsoft’s chief product officer of experiences and devices, Aparna Chennapragada, firmly disagrees with the claim. This comes even as Microsoft laid off 6,000 positions earlier this month, with software engineers bearing the brunt of the cuts. The tech giant had also urged its engineers to ramp up the use of AI tools.

In a recent appearance on Lenny’s Podcast, Chennapragada pushed back against the notion that computer science is becoming irrelevant. She rather said that learning to code is more valuable than ever, even if the way we code is changing. "A lot of folks think about, 'Oh, don’t bother studying computer science or coding is dead,' and I just fundamentally disagree," she said, adding that, "If anything, I think we’ve always had higher and higher layers of abstraction in programming."

Microsoft is investing in artificial intelligence (AI). CEO Satya Nadella revealed in April this year that AI now writes up to 30 per cent of code in some Microsoft projects. This raised questions about the future demand for human programmers.

Chennapragada argues that AI represents just another layer of abstraction in programming evolution. "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," she explained, suggesting engineers might become "software operators" instead.

READ | Anil Ambani's company gets key letter for 350 MW solar project from...

As per internal data reviewed by Bloomberg, over 40 per cent of those laid off in Washington state were software engineers, raising questions about the future of human coders at a company rapidly embracing AI. Microsoft has been among the top big tech companies to lay off thousands of its employees. It had 228,000 employees worldwide at the end of June. The company reported better-than-expected results, with USD 25.8 billion in quarterly net income.