Autodesk CEO says, “In today’s world, systems and interdisciplinary thinking are more important than learning to code.”

Now that AI tools like Copilot can generate code, the focus of human resources should be on understanding how to build products and creatively combine different parts, rather than just mastering a narrow expertise, says Andrew Anagnost.

Anagnost believes that people in the future will need to play the role of “creative leaders”; those who know what needs to be built and how to drive the output of AI tools. For this reason, having an understanding of multiple domains and the ability to work with new tools will be more important than having a computer science degree.

Anagnost predicts that the need for traditional roles like entry-level programmers will decline, replaced by roles with a more systems perspective and creativity.

Autodesk CEO says future software teams may consist of just two people: a product designer and an AI agent. In this direction, education systems will also need to change, focusing on the ability to think critically and collaborate with AI, rather than just teaching skills.