Will computer science professors be replaced by AI?
Updated
Computer science professors score 51 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 49%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 17% outright, and 34% stays with people.
- 17% AI can do it
- 49% AI helps
- 34% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 77% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 26 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 4 of them today, speeds up 12 and leaves 10 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. Attendance and grade records are structured data entry AI handles well. | 80% AI can do it |
| Develop and maintain Web sites for online courses. AI generates course web pages and code; instructor reviews and publishes. | 70% AI can do it |
| Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments. AI compiles reading lists and citations quickly; instructor verifies accuracy. | 70% AI can do it |
| Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts. AI drafts syllabi, assignments, and handouts; instructor reviews and adapts. | 65% AI can do it |
| Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers. AI grades code and routine written work; instructor checks edge cases. | 62% AI helps |
| Compile, administer, and grade examinations or assign this work to others. AI can build and grade exams, but proctoring and final review stay human. | 55% AI helps |
| Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media. AI aids literature review, analysis, and drafting; researcher is responsible for the findings. | 50% AI helps |
| Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. AI summarizes literature quickly, but reading, networking, and conferences stay human. | 45% AI helps |
| Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction. AI proposes curriculum revisions and course outlines; faculty decide and approve. | 45% AI helps |
| Write grant proposals to procure external research funding. AI drafts proposal text and budgets; strategy and submission stay human. | 45% AI helps |
Show the other 16 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities. AI handles screening and scheduling paperwork; placement meetings stay human. | 40% AI helps |
| Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment. AI can compare textbooks and equipment options; purchasing decisions stay human. | 35% AI helps |
| Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as programming, data structures, and software design. AI helps prepare lecture content, but live delivery stays with the instructor. | 30% AI helps |
| Provide professional consulting services to government or industry. AI supports research and reports; client advice needs expert judgement. | 30% AI helps |
| Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues. AI can draft plans and options; career guidance needs human judgement. | 25% AI helps |
| Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head. AI handles administrative paperwork; leadership and personnel decisions stay human. | 25% AI helps |
| Direct research of other teachers or of graduate students working for advanced academic degrees. Directing researchers is mentorship that depends on human judgement. | 20% Needs a person |
| Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work. Supervising students' research and internships relies on hands-on human mentorship. | 20% Needs a person |
| Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students. Live one-on-one student meetings need human presence and judgement. | 15% Needs a person |
| Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues. Collaborative discussion with colleagues is interpersonal and largely human. | 15% Needs a person |
| Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues. Committee deliberation and policy decisions need human judgement and presence. | 15% Needs a person |
| Act as advisers to student organizations. Advising student organizations involves live, in-person relationship work. | 15% Needs a person |
| Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions. Facilitating live classroom discussion depends on real-time human interaction. | 10% Needs a person |
| Supervise students' laboratory work. Supervising lab work requires physical presence and hands-on oversight. | 10% Needs a person |
| Maintain computer equipment used in instruction. Repairing and maintaining physical computer equipment needs hands-on work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Participate in campus and community events. Attending campus and community events requires physical presence. | 5% Needs a person |
How computer science professors compare
All occupations (923)
Educational instruction and library (62)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $96,980 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 35,480 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +4.9% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Build course sites in Learning management system LMS
- Write Python and Java assignments with worked solutions
- Lead live discussion and office hours for students
- Supervise hands-on lab work in C++ and Python
- Review AI-drafted syllabi and exams in Microsoft Word
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about computer science professors and AI
Will AI replace computer science professors?
Partly. About 4 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly maintaining student records and building course websites. Teaching itself stays with people, because live discussion, lab supervision and advising need a person in the room.
Which tasks is AI taking over for computer science professors?
Recording attendance and grades is the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 80, since it is structured data entry. Developing course websites (exposure 70) and compiling bibliographies (exposure 70) are also handled by AI, which generates pages and reading lists that the instructor then checks and publishes.
Which tasks stay human for computer science professors?
Facilitating classroom discussion, supervising lab work and holding office hours all score 10 to 15 on exposure. These depend on real-time interaction, so they stay with the professor, who reads students in the room and gives feedback on their code.
How can computer science professors stay valuable as AI takes over more tasks?
Focus on the tasks that need presence and judgement, such as lab supervision and live coding sessions in Python and C++. Use AI to draft syllabi and exams in Microsoft Word, then review and adapt them to your course. Keep the LMS current and spend the time saved on office hours and student advising.
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