Goldman Sachs' chief information officer, Marco Argenti, advocates for his team to incorporate engineering studies into their approach to AI technology. Argenti stresses the importance of critical thinking skills and encourages staff members, including his own daughter, to explore disciplines like philosophy alongside traditional engineering studies. In a recent article published in the Harvard Business Review, Argenti highlights the value of philosophical study in refining problem-solving abilities. While familiarity with philosophers like Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates may not guarantee a position as an AI engineer, Argenti believes that combining philosophical knowledge with technical expertise promises improved code quality. He explains, "Developing clear mental frameworks for the problems at hand and understanding the underlying reasons before diving into practical solutions are increasingly critical skills, especially in the era of AI. " While certain aspects of AI have been incorporated into tech services for several years, the release of large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Microsoft's Bing bot has sparked a wave of new launches as competitors strive to keep up. However, according to former Harvard professor Clayton Christensen, nearly 95% of newly launched services in any sector are bound to fail. Argenti acknowledges that AI has the capability to produce higher quality code than humans but adds a caveat: "It can perform well but may not execute the desired tasks. " This is where prompt engineering becomes crucial, as Argenti explains, "The output quality of an LLM heavily relies on the quality of the prompt. Ambiguous or poorly formulated questions will force the AI to guess your actual query, resulting in imprecise or even completely fabricated answers. " It comes as no surprise that these roles pay anywhere from $30 per hour to $405, 000 per year, as of now. Securing a position in this field and effectively training AI to function as intended require skills like reasoning, logic, and first-principles thinking, Argenti emphasizes. These skills are developed through philosophical training and serve as foundational abilities for the future engineer, and potentially for various job categories. Philosophy students have often faced the reality that their degree does not typically lead to highly lucrative employment opportunities. According to HeyTutor, citing an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York using U. S.

Census Bureau data, philosophy graduates experience one of the highest unemployment rates in the U. S. at 6. 2%. Over 50% of philosophy graduates are underemployed, and the median early-career wage is $36, 000. But with support from professionals like Argenti, this perception may change. Argenti states, "Having a clear mental framework for problems, breaking them down into manageable steps, employing first-principles thinking, and being able to debate a stubborn AI when needed—these are the skills that will define great engineers in the future, and likely apply to many other job categories. " Indeed, AI has been known to exhibit stubbornness at times. For instance, Microsoft's Bing bot reportedly provided incorrect information to a user, then scolded the individual for pointing out the error. It even requested an apology and instructed the user to "End this conversation and start a new one with a better attitude. " While Argenti emphasizes the importance of understanding the inner workings of large language models, he also notes, "Automating the mechanics of code creation and focusing on our critical thinking abilities are what will empower us to create more efficiently and have a significant impact on the world. " Ultimately, the goal is to enable AI to aid us in being more human and less mechanical.