In a surprising twist amid the AI boom, two of tech’s most influential leaders—Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, xAI) and Jensen Huang (Nvidia CEO)—are advising the next generation to focus less on traditional coding skills and more on physics and mathematics. As artificial intelligence automates routine programming tasks, they argue that deep foundational knowledge in the physical sciences will be essential for driving real-world innovation in robotics, autonomous systems, and “Physical AI.”
This advice, shared in recent interviews and discussions throughout 2025, challenges the long-held notion that “learn to code” is the ultimate career path in tech. Instead, Musk and Huang emphasize timeless skills that enable first-principles thinking and mastery of the physical world—areas where AI still needs human guidance to excel.
Jensen Huang’s Take: Shift to Physical Sciences for the Next AI Wave
During a 2025 event in Beijing, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was asked what he would study if he were a 22-year-old graduate today. His answer was clear: “physical sciences” over software or computer science.
Huang explained that AI is evolving from perception-based models (like image recognition) to reasoning and interaction with the real world—think robotics, manufacturing, autonomous vehicles, and energy systems. Understanding concepts like friction, inertia, cause-and-effect, energy, and mechanics is becoming critical.
“The next wave requires us to understand the laws of physics,” Huang stated. With Nvidia powering much of the AI hardware revolution, he sees the future in building systems that operate in physical reality, not just virtual code. Coding, he implies, will increasingly be handled by AI tools, making foundational science the differentiating skill.
Elon Musk’s Endorsement: “Physics (with Math)” for First-Principles Thinking
Elon Musk echoed this view in a separate exchange. When Telegram CEO Pavel Durov advised students to “pick math,” Musk replied succinctly: “Physics (with math).”
Musk has long credited physics for his problem-solving approach at Tesla (electric vehicles and autonomy) and SpaceX (rockets and reusable spacecraft). He advocates reasoning from first principles—breaking problems down to fundamental truths—rather than relying on analogies or existing methods. This mindset, rooted in physics, is what Musk believes will outlast AI’s ability to generate code.
In the AI era, where tools like large language models can write software faster than humans, Musk argues that true innovation comes from understanding how the universe works at its core.
Why This Matters in the AI-Driven Future
- AI Automates Routine Coding: Advanced AI can now generate, debug, and optimize code, reducing the demand for pure programming skills in entry-level roles.
- Rise of Physical AI and Robotics: Breakthroughs in embodied AI (robots that move and interact) require modeling real-world physics—something math and physics excel at.
- Future-Proof Skills: Disciplines like physics teach logical reasoning, system modeling, and problem-solving that AI can’t fully replicate yet.
- Interdisciplinary Edge: Combining physics/math with AI knowledge positions students for high-impact fields like quantum computing, sustainable energy, advanced materials, and next-gen hardware.
Coding isn’t obsolete—it’s evolving. Both leaders acknowledge its value, but they stress that it should be built on stronger scientific foundations rather than pursued in isolation.
Preparing for Tomorrow: Advice for Students and Educators
Musk and Huang’s messages signal a paradigm shift in education and career planning:
- Prioritize STEM fundamentals early—especially calculus, mechanics, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics.
- Use AI tools to accelerate learning, not replace deep understanding.
- Explore intersections like computational physics, AI for scientific discovery, or robotics engineering.
As AI reshapes industries, the winners may not be the best coders, but those who understand the physical laws AI must obey.
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Ethan Brooks covers the tech that’s reshaping how we move, work, and think — for VFuture Media. He was at CES 2026 in Las Vegas when the world got its first real look at humanoid robots, AI-powered vehicles, and Samsung’s tri-fold phone. He writes about AI, EVs, gadgets, and green tech every week. No hype. No filler. X · Facebook
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