Liberal arts grads could be top programmers in the AI era

January 21, 2025

Liberal arts grads could be top programmers in the AI era

With technology handling more traditional IT tasks, a humanities mindset will only become more valuable in the field.

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This content was originally featured in an Information Week article in January 2025.

In the world of programming, technical chops have always been the golden ticket. But over the years, some of the best programmers I've hired and worked with didn't come from computer science backgrounds. They came from the humanities-music, philosophy, literature. These liberal arts grads brought a fresh perspective to programming, one that's not always easy to find.

With generative AI increasingly used in programming, a liberal arts mindset will only become more valuable. With AI handling programming fundamentals-such as line-by-line code writing-the remaining work will require not just technology knowledge but also communication, collaboration and critical-thinking skills: understanding problems deeply, communicating with stakeholders, and designing solutions that make sense in the real world.

Make way for the liberal arts programmer

Programming has never been purely about logic. Sure, you need what used to be called left-brain skills-the ability to translate technical specs into precise code. But a programmer's real value comes when they push beyond that to think more holistically and see connections that others miss.

I first noticed this long ago. A talented colleague used to entertain a roomful of fellow IT workers by playing and singing Eric Clapton tunes. He was also a gifted coder, capable of recognizing patterns and solving problems in a different way.

Programming is a creative process, not unlike music. The notes matter, but so does knowing when to riff, how to structure, and how to build something that's more than the sum of its parts. It's no coincidence that the best developer I ever worked with, period, was a music major.

Liberal arts majors don't come to work burdened with technical rigidity. They've spent their time dissecting ideas, making connections between concepts, and thinking critically. They've honed their writing and storytelling. Those skills are incredibly valuable, especially now.

Gen AI is changing the job

Gen AI is fundamentally changing what it means to be a programmer. Tools like GitHub Copilot and Google's Gemini can write code, debug simple issues, and automate many of the tasks that used to take up time. But AI doesn't know how to ask the right questions, interpret user needs, or mold its output into something that makes sense in a broader context. That's still a human job.

The role of the programmer is evolving, splitting into two paths. There will always be a place for the hardcore programmer with a computer science background, someone to make systems talk to one another. For others-call them citizen programmers-the work is no longer just about writing code line by line; it's about knowing how to work with AI, guide it, and know when and where human input is most needed.

This is where that liberal arts mindset comes in-being able to understand the nuances, think critically about user experience, explain things simply and piece together ideas in new ways.

Preparing for a new type of programmer

So, what should businesses do with this insight? First, it's time to rethink talent and look for people who can adapt, think on their feet and see the big picture. This outreach could start at the university level, with IT recruiters visiting leading liberal arts and music colleges in addition to the traditional technical schools on their lists.

We also need to recognize that the most valuable skills don't always show up on a resume. How do you measure the ability to see a new solution that nobody else considered? Or the capacity to understand what a user is really asking for, even if they can't quite articulate it? These are the skills that will matter most, even if they don't fit neatly into a job description.

Once these new types of people are hired, we'll need to change how we approach development within our teams. AI isn't going to stop evolving, and neither can we. For the next few years, people will focus on learning how to use these new tools. But beyond that, it'll be about figuring out how to create with them. And that's going to require people who aren't afraid to question how things have always been done.

All this change isn't mere theory; it's happening right now. Instead of looking for people who tick all the technical boxes, I'm looking for those who bring a creative mindset to the table. Hiring cannot be merely about pulling in more STEM graduates. It must be about building an environment where people with different backgrounds can work together to solve problems.

The future of tech work will be shaped by those who bring creativity, empathy and the ability to solve tough problems to the job. In my experience, that's often someone with a background in the humanities.

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