The ‘CS Exodus’ as Discipline Evolution
The recent discussion on a “Computer Science exodus” [1] may sound alarming, but perhaps it is better understood as part of a longer historical pattern.
Computing did not begin as Computer Science. It emerged from Electrical Engineering, which became a formal discipline in the late 19th century following its commercialization [2]. In the early 1970s, computer engineering emerged as a distinct academic discipline, with the first dedicated degree program established in 1971 [3]. Around the same time, software engineering was formalized to address the growing complexity of large software systems [4]. Computer science later became the dominant academic identity for computing.
Today Universities are rapidly expanding AI-specific degrees, and the share of computer science PhD graduates specializing in AI nearly doubled over the past decade [5]. What looks like an exodus under this historical lens is more accurately a shift toward the current center of gravity.
On the other hand, focusing on the concept of abstraction, each transition reflects a shift in where complexity resides. Electrical Engineering focused on electrons and circuits. Computer Engineering abstracted those into programmable machines. Computer Science abstracted machines into algorithms and data structures. Software Engineering abstracted algorithms into large, reliable systems. Now, AI abstracts explicit logic itself, allowing systems to learn behavior from data rather than relying solely on hand-written rules.
These transitions do not replace the disciplines. They redefine their boundaries. We are witnessing computer Science evolving into the foundation supporting a more AI-native form of computing.
(In the pyramid AI is marked as starting from 2010s when AlexNet ignited deep learning revolution and transitioned AI into mainstream)
References
[1] Rogers, Kate Clark. “The Great Computer Science Exodus and Where Students Are Going Instead.” TechCrunch, February 15, 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/15/the-great-computer-science-exodus-and-where-students-are-going-instead/
[2] Wikipedia contributors. “Electrical Engineering.” Wikipedia. Accessed February 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_engineering
[3] Wikipedia contributors. “Computer Engineering.” Wikipedia. Last modified 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_engineering
[4] NATO Science Committee. Software Engineering: Report on a Conference Sponsored by the NATO Science Committee, Garmisch, Germany, 7–11 October 1968. NATO Scientific Affairs Division, 1969. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_Software_Engineering_Conferences
[5] Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI). AI Index Report 2023 – Chapter 5: Education. Stanford University, 2023. https://hai.stanford.edu/assets/files/hai_ai-index-report-2023_chapter_5.pdf
Originally posted on LinkedIn.