Multiple outlets report that a Stanford economist attributes a recent slowdown in computer science enrollment to changing student interests during the rise of artificial intelligence. Business Insider and Yahoo News both say the decline represents the first drop in roughly two decades, breaking a long-running trend of growth in computer science study.
The coverage links the enrollment shift to how tools such as ChatGPT and broader AI adoption are influencing what students perceive as valuable or accessible in computing-related fields. Rather than only traditional pathways into computer science, students may be choosing different majors, alternative tracks, or other areas where AI applications are used directly.
The reports frame the slowdown as an emerging pattern rather than a final conclusion, emphasizing that the economist’s assessment centers on the possibility that AI is reshaping course and major decisions. The articles do not present detailed data in the excerpts provided, but they agree on the central claim: computer science enrollment is falling for the first time in about 20 years, and AI’s growing presence is a key factor the economist highlights.
