Reed Hastings says AI will drive a return to humanities as emotional skills trump STEM focus

Reed Hastings says AI will drive a return back to humanities: 'I'd be doubling down on emotional skills' | Fortune

Reed Hastings, the cofounder, former CEO, and now chairman of the board at Netflix, studied AI and computer science back in the 1980s. Decades later, he thinks today's AI revolution could bring back an emphasis on the humanities as a field of study. After graduating with a degree in Math from Maine's Bowdoin College, Hastings pursued a Master of Science degree in computer science and artificial intelligence at Stanford. The the earlier AI revolution he was a part of didn't pan out, but the current AI wave shows signs of completely upheaving the labor force as we know it, and it may even transform education, he said on an episode of the Possible podcast last week. Hastings chose STEM for his own graduate degree, but he said AI will shift what universities prioritize in the future. "STEM practically took over Stanford University," said Hastings. "Now maybe what we'll see is a rotation, you know, back to the humanities and to understanding [the] combination of history and literature." "If I had a three-year-old today, I would be doubling down on the emotional skills," he added. Hastings' comments come as AI has upended the job market for computer science graduates early in their careers. The share of tech job postings open to people with two to four years experience dropped to 40% in mid-2025 from 46% in mid-2022, according to data from jobs website Indeed. Boris Cherny, the creator of Anthropic's Claude Code predicted in February that the title of "software engineer" may even go extinct by the end of the year as AI tools give all employees the ability to write code. Hastings, for his part, is skeptical AI will replace human software engineers entirely. "There's a substantial chance that while many companies will have reduced software engineering employment, there'll be many other opportunities for more software," he said on the podcast. Still, Hastings has put his own money behind the idea that humanities will matter more in the years ahead. Last year, the Netflix cofounder donated $50 million to his alma mater Bowdoin College to establish the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity. The funding will help Bowdoin hire 10 new faculty members, and fund research on AI's impact on society. "Our goal is to prepare the next generation of leaders to engage responsibly with the opportunities and challenges presented by AI," says Bowdoin's website for the initiative. While Hastings foresees sweeping changes in education and work, he is more optimistic than ever about the future and the role that AI will play in improving the world. "The next 20 years will be super exciting and I think it will usher in this era of abundance," he said.

Netflix Co-Founder Reed Hastings Says STEM Is 'Overdone' As AI Reshapes Jobs, Urges Shift To Emotional In

AI Driving Shifts Away From STEM Last week, speaking on the "Possible" podcast, Hastings framed his view around what AI does well versus what still depends on human connection. Hastings said AI's strengths lean toward structured, rule-based work, pointing to areas like software development and healthcare as places where capabilities could advance quickly. He contrasted that with experiences driven by emotion and culture, arguing that those won't become the central focus of an AI-led economy. "You're not going to watch a basketball game of robots," Hastings said. He also described entertainment, art, and sports as emotional domains that are not "the big thrust of the AI world." Hastings suggested education may swing back toward disciplines that train people to understand stories, history and how humans relate to one another. "If I had a three-year-old today, I would be like doubling down on the emotional skills," he said. Hastings said the past two decades elevated STEM and coding as must-have skills, but he now sees signs of saturation. "As everyone sees that coding is overdone, my guess is we'll see that STEM is overdone," he said. AI Jobs Debate: Musk, Pichai, Gates Clash On Future Of Work Earlier, Elon Musk said universal high-income payments could offset AI-driven job losses if automation boosts output enough, though Sanjeev Sanyal criticized the idea as economically risky. Bill Gates added that AI was already reshaping work and could eventually shorten the workweek, urging policymakers to prepare for economic changes without backing a single solution. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo Courtesy: catwalker on Shutterstock.com Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.