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The Independent
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
The surprising job AI won't replace any time soon
As AI systems expand their already impressive capacities, there is an increasingly common belief that the field of computer science (CS) will soon be a thing of the past. This is being communicated to today's prospective students in the form of well-meaning advice, but much of it amounts to little more than hearsay from individuals who, despite their intelligence, speak outside of their expertise. High-profile figures like Nobel Prize -winning economist Christopher Pissarides have made this argument, and as a result, it has taken root on a much more mundane level – I have even personally heard high school careers advisers dismiss the idea of studying CS outright, despite having no knowledge of the field itself. These claims typically share two common flaws. First among them is that the advice comes from people who are not computer scientists. Secondly, there is a widespread misunderstanding of what computer science actually involves. AI and the myth of code replacement It is not wrong to say that AI can write computer code from prompts, just as it can generate poems, recipes and cover letters. It can boost productivity and speed up workflow, but none of this eliminates the value of human input. Writing code is not synonymous with CS. One can learn to write code without ever attending a single university class, but a CS degree goes far beyond this one skill. It involves, among many other things, engineering complex systems, designing infrastructure and future programming languages, ensuring cybersecurity and verifying systems for correctness. AI cannot reliably do these tasks, nor will it be able to in the foreseeable future. Human input remains essential, but pessimistic misinformation risks steering tens of thousands of talented students away from important, meaningful careers in this vital field. What AI can and can't do AI excels at making predictions. Generative AI enhances this by adding a user-friendly presentation layer to internet content – it rewrites, summarises and formats information into something that resembles a human's work. However, current AI does not genuinely 'think'. Instead, it relies on logical shortcuts, known as heuristics, that sacrifice precision for speed. This means that, despite speaking like a person, it cannot reason, feel, care, or desire anything. It does not work in the same way as a human mind. Not long ago, it seemed that 'prompt engineering' would replace CS. Today, however, there are virtually no job postings for prompt engineers, while companies like LinkedIn report that the responsibilities of CS professionals have actually expanded. Where AI falls short What AI provides is more powerful tools for CS professionals to do their jobs. This means they can now take concepts further – from ideation to market deployment – while requiring fewer support roles and more technical leadership. There are, however, many areas where specialised human input is still essential, whether for trust, oversight or the need for human creativity. Examples abound, but there are 10 areas that stand out in particular: Adapting a hedge fund algorithm to new economic conditions. This requires algorithmic design and deep understanding of markets, not just reams of code. Diagnosing intermittent cloud service outages from providers like Google or Microsoft. AI can troubleshoot on a small scale, but it cannot contextualise large-scale, high-stakes troubleshooting. Rewriting code for quantum computers. AI cannot do this without extensive examples of successful implementations (which do not currently exist). Designing and securing a new cloud operating system. This involves high-level system architecture and rigorous testing that AI cannot perform. Creating energy-efficient AI systems. AI cannot spontaneously invent lower-power GPU code or reinvent its own architecture. Building secure, hacker-proof, real-time control software for nuclear power plants. This requires embedded systems expertise to be mixed with the translation of code and system design. Verifying that a surgical robot's software works under unpredictable conditions. Safety-critical validation exceeds AI's current scope. Designing systems to authenticate email sources and ensure integrity. This is a cryptographic and multi-disciplinary challenge. Auditing and improving AI-driven cancer prediction tools. This requires human oversight and continuous system validation. Building the next generation of safe and controllable AI. Evolving towards safer AI cannot be done by AI itself – this is a human responsibility. Why Computer Science is still indispensable One thing is certain: AI will reshape how engineering and Computer Science are done. But what we are faced with is a shift in working methods, not a wholesale destruction of the field. Whenever we face an entirely new problem or complexity, AI alone will not suffice for one simple reason: it depends entirely on past data. Maintaining AI, building new platforms, and developing fields like trustworthy AI and AI governance, therefore, all require CS. The only scenario in which we might not need CS is if we reach a point where we no longer expect any new languages, systems, tools, or future challenges. This is vanishingly unlikely. Some argue that AI may eventually perform all of these tasks. It's not impossible, but even if AI became this advanced, it would place almost all professions at equal risk. One of the few exceptions would be those who build, control, and advance AI. There is a historical precedent to this: during the Industrial Revolution, factory workers were displaced at a 50 to 1 ratio as a result of rapid advances in machinery and technology. In that case, the workforce actually grew with a new economy, but most of the new workers were those who could operate or fix machines, develop new machines, or design new factories and processes around machinery. During this period of massive upheaval, technical skills were actually the most in-demand, not the least. Today, the parallel holds true: technical expertise, especially in CS, is more valuable than it ever has been. Let's not confuse the next generation with the opposite message.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Teen 'killer' Karmelo Anthony formally charged with murder for fatally stabbing athlete at track meet in Texas
Karmelo Anthony, the teen who admitted to stabbing and killing a fellow high school athlete at a track meet in Texas, has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge. Austin Metcalf, 17, bled out in his brother's arms after a then-17-year-old Anthony attacked him at the David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco on April 2. Anthony, now 18, insisted he was acting in self-defense when he killed Metcalf, however, he's never explained why he had a weapon at an event on school property. However, on Tuesday, he was formally charged by a grand jury in the crime that has drawn national attention over race and privilege. 'I fully believe that justice will be served for Austin Metcalf,' his father Jeff told of the indictment. 'I look forward to the forthcoming trial. But it will never bring my son back.' Police have said the incident stemmed from Metcalf asking Anthony to leave his team tent since he didn't go to the same school. It comes weeks after the local district attorney began presenting evidence to a grand jury, asking jurors to uphold the first-degree murder count local cops originally brought against the teen. 'With that indictment, the case now moves formally into the court system. We know this case has struck a deep nerve - here in Collin County and beyond,' Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said in a press release on Tuesday afternoon. 'That's understandable. When something like this happens at a school event, it shakes people to the core.' Grand jury proceedings are held behind closed doors, and unlike most court hearings, are not open to the public. Anthony's advisor Dominque Alexander told that his defense attorney was able to present a packet with evidence the suspect wanted the jurors to see. The teen learned about the indictment shortly before the news was released to media on Tuesday afternoon, Alexander added. 'A ham sandwich can be indicted in America, right,' Alexander told explaining he had been expecting this outcome. 'Right now, this is the first day of Karmelo pretty much preparing to defend himself in the court of law.' Anthony remains under house arrest at a secret location after persuading a judge that his safety was at risk following threats he received while living in a gated community. He spent nearly two weeks in jail before a judge agreed to reduce his bond, allowing him to await trial under house arrest.
The Guardian
13-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Simone Biles apologizes to Riley Gaines over trans athlete row amid right-wing backlash
Simone Biles has apologized for making personal remarks about Riley Gaines in a heated online exchange over transgender athlete participation in sports, even as conservative media figures continued to attack the gymnast. The most decorated gymnast in history, Biles had called Gaines 'truly sick' and a 'sore loser' in a viral social media post after Gaines misgendered a Minnesota high school softball player who is transgender. Biles later said her frustration was directed at the system that puts athletes in difficult positions and that singling out an underage player crossed a line. 'It didn't help for me to get personal with Riley,' Biles wrote in a follow-up post. 'These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don't have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect.' The apology came days after Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer turned anti-trans activist, lashed out at Biles for her comments. The two clashed after Gaines mocked a Minnesota state high school softball championship's post by pointing out a transgender girl on the winning team, referring to the player as 'a boy' and claiming the title was 'hijacked'. Biles, who has often advocated for mental health awareness and athlete welfare, responded sharply: 'You're truly sick. All of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser.' She followed with additional posts criticizing Gaines for 'bullying' and suggested that sports organizations create a transgender division as an inclusive alternative. Gaines, who tied for fifth place with trans swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA championships and has since become a prominent figure in right-wing media, quickly pushed back. 'Men don't belong in women's sports and I say that with my full chest,' she wrote, reposting fan responses and accusing Biles of undermining women's spaces. While Biles has since walked back the personal tone of her remarks, she stood by the broader point. 'I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition,' she posted. 'We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful.' Yet the apology did little to defuse the backlash from the American right. Fox News' website has published no fewer than 17 stories about the dispute since it began on Saturday. On the highly rated Fox panel show The Five on Wednesday, co-host Jesse Watters called Biles 'mentally weak' and mocked her decision to apologize. 'We have to make sure she medals [at LA 2028], OK? So I'm gonna lay off her,' Watters said sarcastically before likening it to Elon Musk's walking back of his feud with Donald Trump. 'But I will say this, she pulled an Elon. 'Oh, I'm sorry for some of the things I said.' Come on.' The segment included further ridicule of Biles's mental health advocacy, with Watters alluding to her high-profile withdrawal from events at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. 'This shows the power of Fox,' he said. 'This woman, Riley Gaines, did the full Kilmeade: six shows in 48 hours and just put so much pressure on Simone.' The right-leaning sports outlet Outkick, where Gaines is a contributor, also published multiple stories criticizing Biles for 'bullying' and accused her of contradicting herself on inclusion and fairness. Despite the pile-on, many of Biles's supporters praised her for defending a transgender minor against public attacks. A coach from the Minnesota team told local media after the championship game, 'She's a great kid and a great teammate. Her teammates love having her out there.' Biles, for her part, appears ready to move on. 'We're all passionate about sport and the direction it's going,' she wrote. 'But we need to be able to talk about it in ways that don't tear each other down.'
BreakingNews.ie
12-06-2025
- Climate
- BreakingNews.ie
Rescue teams searching for missing people after South Africa floods
Rescue teams in South Africa have started a third day searching for missing people after floods devastated parts of the rural Eastern Cape province and left at least 49 dead. Authorities said they expected the death toll to rise. Advertisement The missing included four high school students who were swept away when their bus was caught up in the floods near a river on Tuesday. An abandoned vehicle in a flooded area in Mthatha (Hoseya Jubase/AP/PA) Six students on the bus were confirmed dead while three were rescued after clinging onto trees and calling out for help, according to the provincial government. The floods hit the province early on Tuesday after an extreme cold front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of eastern and southern South Africa. Forecasters had warned about the damaging weather last week. Advertisement Eastern Cape provincial government officials said they believed people were still missing but did not give an exact number. They were working with families to find out who was still unaccounted for, they said. The floods hit Eastern Cape province early on Tuesday after an extreme cold front brought heavy rain (Hoseya Jubase/AP/PA) On Wednesday, rescue teams brought bodies out of the water in blue body bags while witnesses said many people had taken refuge on the top of buildings or in trees. The floods centred on the town of Mthatha and its surrounding district, which is around 267 miles south of the east coast city of Durban. Advertisement Officials said at least 58 schools and 20 hospitals were damaged while hundreds of families were left homeless after their houses were submerged under water or washed away by the floods. Critical infrastructure including roads and bridges has been badly damaged, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane said. He said it was one of the worst weather-related disasters his province had experienced. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced he had activated the National Disaster Management Centre to help local authorities in the Eastern Cape while national officials were expected to visit the province on Thursday. Advertisement
Arab News
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Arab News
Rescuers in South Africa search for the missing after floods leave at least 49 dead
CAPE TOWN, South Africa: Rescue teams began a third day searching for missing people Thursday after floods devastated parts of South Africa's rural Eastern Cape province and left at least 49 dead. Authorities said they expected the death toll to rise. The missing included four high school students who were swept away when their bus was caught up in the floods near a river on Tuesday. Six students on the bus were confirmed dead, while three were rescued after clinging onto trees and calling out for help, according to the provincial government. The floods hit the province early Tuesday after an extreme cold front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of eastern and southern South Africa. Forecasters had warned about the damaging weather last week. Eastern Cape provincial government officials said they believed people were still missing but did not give an exact number. They were working with families to find out who was still unaccounted for, they said. On Wednesday, rescue teams brought bodies out of the water in blue body bags, while witnesses said many people had taken refuge on the top of buildings or in trees. The floods centered on the town of Mthatha and its surrounding district, which is around 430 kilometers (267 miles) south of the east coast city of Durban. Officials said at least 58 schools and 20 hospitals were damaged, while hundreds of families were left homeless after their houses were submerged under water or washed away by the floods. Critical infrastructure including roads and bridges has been badly damaged, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said. He said it was one of the worst weather-related disasters his province had experienced. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced he had activated the National Disaster Management Center to help local authorities in the Eastern Cape, while national officials were expected to visit the province on Thursday.
