Netflix co-founder and former CEO Reed Hastings believes artificial intelligence (AI) will make skills beyond mathematics and science very important for tech companies. In a recent podcast, Hastings, who is now the chairman of Netflix’s board, said AI could shift the focus toward disciplines such as history, literature, and emotional intelligence.On a recent episode of the Possible podcast, Hastings said, “STEM practically took over Stanford University. Now, maybe what we’ll see is a rotation, you know, back to the humanities and to understanding [the] combination of history and literature. If I had a 3-year-old today, I would be doubling down on the emotional skills.”
Why Netflix founder Reed Hastings thinks AI may reshape education and hiring priorities
Hastings, who studied AI and computer science at Stanford University in the 1980s, said the current wave of AI development could have a broader impact than earlier cycles. He noted that while STEM fields have dominated for decades, universities may begin to rebalance toward the humanities as AI systems take on more technical tasks.His comments come at a time when AI tools are already affecting early-career opportunities in technology. Data from job platform Indeed shows that the share of tech job postings open to candidates with two to four years of experience fell to 40% in mid-2025, down from 46% in mid-2022.At the same time, some industry voices are predicting structural shifts in roles. Earlier this year, Anthropic’s Claude Code creator, Boris Cherny, said that traditional job titles like “software engineer” could evolve significantly as AI tools enable more employees to write code.However, Hastings does not expect AI to fully replace software engineers. “There’s a substantial chance that while many companies will have reduced software engineering employment, there’ll be many other opportunities for more software,” he noted.He has also backed his views with funding. In 2025, Hastings donated $50 million to Bowdoin College to establish the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity. The programme aims to expand research into how AI affects society and to support new faculty roles.According to the college, “Our goal is to prepare the next generation of leaders to engage responsibly with the opportunities and challenges presented by AI.”Hastings, being optimistic about the broader impact of AI, said, “The next 20 years will be super exciting, and I think it will usher in this era of abundance.”