This is something AI cannot replace.

Anima Anandkumar believes that students should use AI as a tool, not fear it. Photo: Reuters .

In an age where ChatGPT and automated programming tools are making young people worry about their future careers, the advice of a prominent AI scientist is somewhat surprising. Instead of learning more technical skills to “get ahead” of AI, Ms. Anima emphasizes a seemingly vague ability: curiosity.

“Don’t be afraid of AI, and don’t worry too much about skills that might be replaced. The important thing is to stay on the path of lifelong learning – to let your curiosity lead you to new things, to unanswered questions,” she said.

Her assertions run counter to growing concerns among young people. According to a 2025 survey of more than 3,000 U.S. college students by career platform Handshake, 62% of students familiar with AI said they were concerned that the tool would negatively impact their careers, up nearly 20 percentage points from 2024. Among information technology students, 28% described themselves as “very pessimistic.”

Professor Anandkumar does not deny the power of AI. She herself has built weather forecasting models using AI and participated in the development of many deep learning systems at large technology corporations. However, she believes that AI cannot replace the role of scientists - those who "ask questions", not just "find answers".

“Even with AI scientists, the problem is not a lack of ideas, but testing them. Real-world testing is still very expensive and slow,” she said.

According to her, the job of a scientist is to find solutions to unsolved problems, from subatomic matter to the structure of the universe. “The list of unknowns is endless, and that is what makes science irreplaceable.”

In the tech industry—particularly programming, where AI is making inroads—Anandkumar acknowledges that big changes are afoot. But not everyone is threatened.

“Programmers who are weaker than AI will be replaced. But those who can test, adjust, understand the program deeply and have the ability to innovate, they will be sought after more,” she said.

This view coincides with advice that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman gave in March, saying that students should focus on “mastering AI tools,” rather than trying to compete with them on basic tasks.

While tech leaders like Victor Lazarte (Benchmark) warn that AI is gradually replacing human resources in industries like legal and recruitment, Professor Anandkumar has a more positive view. According to her, AI is only truly useful when directed by humans.

“We, as humans, still decide what AI will do, set the criteria for evaluating the results, and ultimately bear responsibility. That is an irreplaceable power,” she said.

“AI is just a tool. Use it to learn faster, explore better, and feed your curiosity—which will lead you to things AI could never think of on its own,” she concluded.

Source: https://znews.vn/day-la-thu-ma-ai-khong-the-thay-the-post1551939.html