James O’Brien, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley since 2000, is sounding the alarm about how artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming the tech job market and making traditional technology degrees less valuable. In a candid interview, O’Brien reveals that even graduates from top-tier institutions like Berkeley are struggling to secure multiple job offers—a stark contrast to previous years when tech graduates routinely received five or more competing offers.
The professor explains that AI-powered programming assistants based on large language models are eliminating entry-level coding positions at an accelerating rate. Companies that previously needed to hire one or two programmers can now accomplish the same work using AI tools, with minimal human oversight. While some entry-level positions still exist for “babysitting the AI,” O’Brien warns these systems are improving rapidly and even these roles may disappear.
The impact extends beyond just programming jobs. O’Brien categorizes any “hands-on keyboard job” as vulnerable to being outsourced to AI or contracted offshore. He describes the current situation as a “perfect storm” where AI automation, corporate consolidation, and offshore outsourcing are converging simultaneously. Even specializations like CS-AI and data science, currently in high demand, may not remain safe havens as the job market continues shrinking.
O’Brien notes the trend has been building over the past two to three years but has accelerated dramatically in the last year. Students at Berkeley are increasingly aware of these changes and are pivoting toward AI and data science specializations to remain competitive. However, graduates from schools without Berkeley’s prestigious reputation are finding themselves completely shut out of the job market.
Facing this reality, O’Brien advocates for a controversial solution: universal basic income (UBI). He argues that attempting to protect jobs by preventing companies from using more efficient AI technology would stifle innovation and business growth. Instead, he proposes taxing the work performed by machines and AI automation to fund a basic income for all citizens, whether employed or not. This approach, he suggests, represents a fundamentally different economic model where machines, rather than human workers, are the primary source of taxable productivity.
Key Quotes
You can now use a programming assistant that’s based on a large language model to basically write a lot of code for you. So, where a company would have had to hire one or two people before, they no longer need to.
Professor James O’Brien explains how AI-powered coding assistants are directly eliminating entry-level programming positions, fundamentally changing hiring needs at technology companies.
Any ‘hands-on keyboard job’ is at risk of being contracted out offshore or outsourced to AI. Another problem is that many companies are also trying to consolidate a bit. These things are all coming together like a perfect storm.
O’Brien describes the convergence of multiple factors—AI automation, offshore outsourcing, and corporate consolidation—that are simultaneously devastating the tech job market for new graduates.
If machines are doing the work instead of us, then it’s a different formula. Instead of taxing people, we would be able to tax the work done by machines or AI automation and use that to provide a basic level of income.
The Berkeley professor outlines his vision for universal basic income funded by taxing AI automation rather than human labor, acknowledging the need for new economic models in an AI-driven economy.
Rather than getting five great offers, they might only get one great offer or an offer from their second choice. This is certainly not what we’ve seen in the past.
O’Brien contrasts the current job market with previous years, noting that even Berkeley’s elite computer science graduates are experiencing a dramatic reduction in employment opportunities.
Our Take
O’Brien’s testimony is particularly sobering because it comes from someone with 24 years of experience training the tech industry’s future workforce. His observation that the crisis has accelerated in just the past year aligns with the rapid advancement of generative AI tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT. What’s most striking is his pessimism about AI and data science specializations—suggesting that even pivoting toward AI expertise may only provide temporary protection. His advocacy for UBI isn’t ideological but pragmatic, recognizing that preventing companies from using superior technology is neither feasible nor desirable. The proposal to tax AI automation represents creative thinking about how to fund social safety nets when traditional employment-based tax revenue declines. This interview should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers, educators, and workers: the AI displacement of knowledge workers isn’t a distant future scenario but an accelerating present reality requiring immediate attention.
Why This Matters
This story represents a critical inflection point in the AI revolution’s impact on white-collar employment. When a tenured professor from one of the world’s most prestigious computer science programs warns that even his top-tier graduates are struggling, it signals a fundamental shift in the technology labor market. The implications extend far beyond Silicon Valley—if AI can replace entry-level programmers and technical workers, virtually no knowledge-based profession is immune.
O’Brien’s call for universal basic income reflects growing recognition among experts that traditional economic models may be inadequate for an AI-driven economy. His proposal to tax AI automation rather than human labor represents a novel approach to addressing technological unemployment. This conversation is particularly significant because it comes from someone deeply embedded in both AI development and workforce preparation, giving him unique insight into both the technology’s capabilities and its societal impact. The acceleration he describes over the past year suggests we may be approaching a tipping point where AI’s displacement of human workers moves from theoretical concern to immediate crisis, requiring urgent policy responses.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-degrees-job-berkeley-professor-ai-ubi-2024-10