Top Insight: Google DeepMind CEO Reveals #1 Subject He Would Study If He Were a Student Today
Demis Hassabis Urges Students to Embrace STEM and AI to Thrive in the Future Job Market
New Delhi:
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries and redefines the global economy, one of the world’s foremost voices in the AI revolution, Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, has urged young professionals and students to face this paradigm shift head-on. Speaking at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in London, Hassabis emphasized the importance of not resisting the transformative power of AI but learning how to harness it effectively.
In a future increasingly dominated by automation, machine learning, and artificial general intelligence (AGI), Hassabis stressed that the most successful individuals will be those who develop a strong grounding in STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—and who actively experiment with emerging AI tools.
The Rise of the AI Era: A Call to Action for the Next Generation
According to Hassabis, AI is no longer a distant frontier—it is an immediate force shaping the present and the future. He compared the current AI revolution to the Industrial Revolution, noting its far-reaching implications on employment, education, and human productivity. However, he made it clear that this change is not something to fear. Rather, it offers immense opportunities for those who are willing to adapt.
“AI is going to supercharge what people can do. It’s going to unlock new creative and technical possibilities,” Hassabis said. “But to take full advantage of these opportunities, young people need to understand how these systems are put together.”
He advocated that students take STEM courses to build a solid foundation in logic, reasoning, and problem-solving—skills that will be indispensable in a world increasingly augmented by AI systems.
From Internet Natives to AI Natives
Drawing parallels with earlier technological shifts, Hassabis said the upcoming generation will become “AI natives,” much like millennials and Gen Z became internet natives. He envisions a future where interacting with AI tools will be as intuitive as using smartphones or browsing the internet.
“For the next generation, growing up with AI will be second nature,” he said. “They’ll be building things with AI in the same way the last generation built things with the web.”
The key, according to Hassabis, is to start early. He urged students not to wait for formal education systems to catch up but to explore AI tools independently—learning how they work, experimenting with their capabilities, and understanding their limitations.
“If I were a student today, I’d be hacking around with those tools right now,” Hassabis remarked, suggesting that students take a proactive approach to understanding and utilizing AI.
The Importance of Foundational Knowledge
While much of the public discourse around AI focuses on its applications—such as chatbots, image generation, and predictive analytics—Hassabis emphasized the need to understand the fundamental principles that underpin these technologies.
“AI is built on deep mathematical and computational concepts,” he explained. “If you really want to master it, you need to understand the underlying science—computer science, physics, and mathematics.”
This foundational knowledge, he noted, is what distinguishes mere users of AI from creators and innovators. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in sectors ranging from healthcare and education to finance and logistics, the demand for technically proficient individuals who can both use and build AI systems will skyrocket.
A Transforming Job Market: Challenges and Opportunities
One of the most pressing concerns surrounding AI is its impact on employment. Critics and workers alike have expressed fears that AI could displace large segments of the workforce, particularly in roles involving routine cognitive or physical tasks. However, Hassabis offered a more optimistic view.
“Just like the Industrial Revolution automated manual labor and created new industries, AI will automate cognitive labor but also create entirely new categories of jobs,” he said. “The most valuable jobs in the next five to ten years will go to those who understand and can work with AI.”
According to Hassabis, technically savvy professionals who can creatively use AI tools will be in high demand. These new roles may involve developing AI algorithms, designing human-AI collaboration interfaces, or solving complex real-world problems using AI-based models.
In fact, AI is already beginning to reshape hiring and operations in many industries. From automated customer support systems and AI-driven content generation to algorithmic stock trading and predictive maintenance in manufacturing, businesses are increasingly relying on AI to improve efficiency and scalability.
Preparing for the Future: Education Reform and Self-Learning
To prepare the future workforce, Hassabis emphasized the need for both formal education reform and independent, self-guided learning. He called on educators and institutions to update their curricula to reflect the demands of an AI-driven economy.
“Schools and universities need to incorporate AI literacy into their core offerings,” he said. “But at the same time, students shouldn’t wait for the system to change. There are plenty of resources available online to learn about AI.”
Free and paid platforms such as Coursera, edX, Khan Academy, and Google’s own AI training resources offer a wealth of knowledge on topics such as machine learning, neural networks, data science, and ethics in AI.
Hassabis encouraged students to take advantage of these tools, emphasizing that hands-on experimentation and project-based learning are among the most effective ways to gain expertise.
AGI by 2030: A Bold Vision
Hassabis’s remarks come at a time of heightened interest in artificial general intelligence—AI systems that match or exceed human cognitive abilities across a wide range of tasks. Speaking recently at the Google I/O developer conference alongside Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Hassabis stated that AGI could become a reality by 2030.
While the timeline for AGI remains a subject of debate among experts, Hassabis’s prediction underscores the rapid pace at which AI technology is advancing. DeepMind itself has made significant strides in this area, developing groundbreaking systems such as AlphaGo, AlphaFold, and Gemini that have demonstrated superhuman performance in complex domains ranging from board games to protein folding.
Achieving AGI would represent a seismic leap in technology—one with profound implications for science, medicine, economics, and even the nature of consciousness. Hassabis is optimistic that if developed responsibly, AGI could help solve some of humanity’s most pressing challenges, including climate change, disease, and energy scarcity.
Human Resilience in an AI-Driven World
Despite the disruptive potential of AI, Hassabis expressed strong faith in human adaptability. “Humans have always evolved alongside technology,” he said. “From the steam engine to the internet, we’ve faced major shifts before, and we’ve always come through stronger.”
He acknowledged that while there will be challenges—especially in terms of job displacement, ethical dilemmas, and governance—the overall impact of AI can be positive if society approaches it with awareness, regulation, and inclusivity.
“We need to be thoughtful and deliberate in how we deploy these systems,” he added. “But the potential for good is enormous.”
AI as a Creative Partner
One of the most promising aspects of AI, according to Hassabis, is its ability to augment—not replace—human creativity. In fields such as art, music, architecture, and scientific research, AI is increasingly being used as a tool for inspiration and exploration.
“We’re seeing AI generate novel ideas, test hypotheses, and even collaborate with scientists on new discoveries,” he said. “It’s not just about automation—it’s about amplification.”
He pointed to DeepMind’s AlphaFold, which has helped map the structure of over 200 million proteins, as a prime example of AI accelerating scientific progress. Such advancements could have far-reaching effects on medicine and biotechnology, potentially leading to breakthroughs in drug discovery and genetic therapies.
Final Words: Build, Don’t Fear
As a closing message to students and professionals, Hassabis reiterated his central message: don’t fear AI—learn how to build with it.
“The best way to prepare for the future is to engage with it,” he said. “Understand the tools, experiment with them, and think about how you can contribute to shaping what comes next.”
Whether through formal education or self-guided exploration, Hassabis believes that the individuals who embrace AI early will not only survive in the new economy—they will lead it.
Conclusion
Demis Hassabis’s address at SXSW London serves as both a wake-up call and a roadmap for the next generation. In an era where AI is becoming ubiquitous, the need for robust STEM education, hands-on experience with AI tools, and a mindset of adaptability has never been more urgent.
While challenges remain, the future, as envisioned by one of the world’s leading AI scientists, is not bleak—it is brimming with potential. The question now is not whether AI will change the world, but who will be prepared to lead that change.
