In an age where artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the software industry, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has a clear message for those looking to break into tech. In a recent chat with popular tech YouTuber Sajjaad Khade, Nadella offered ground-based advice to beginners who want to make their mark in the world of technology. Despite the growing capabilities of AI, he believes basic computational thinking and system design skills are still important. “I think it's very important to just get the real foundations of software (if you're a software engineer),” says Nadella. “For me, I have the ability to think computationally (it's important).
Khade raised the question and asked Nadella what advice he would provide to someone who just started out from today's AI-driven software landscape. Nadella emphasized that while AI can help with coding, it still relies heavily on the ability of users to think logically and provide structured guidance.
“That path to becoming a software architect will speed up,” he explained. “We're all going to be more software architects.”
Nadella used personal anecdotes to highlight his point. He recently recalls how he encountered a bug in his code and solved it using Github Copilot, an AI-powered coding assistant. “Except I was thinking about it, that was a pretty cool problem, right? The problem was that I did a filter that was basically a percentile… I created a feature. But I said, “Oh, this, as you know, can you talk about what SQL is, as you know?”
Nadella says that the balance between human insight and the assistance driving AI is what the future of coding will look like. AI continues to handle more repetitive and mechanical tasks, but the central responsibility of problem building and designing coherent systems falls on humans.
In fact, it's impressive how far AI has already infiltrated Microsoft's own software development process. In a conversation with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg earlier this year, Nadella revealed that AI is currently writing a significant portion of Microsoft's code.
“I think maybe 20%, 30% of the code inside our repo today, and maybe part of our project is written all by software,” he said.
Nadella also highlighted the concept of “agent AI” in her keynote speech at Microsoft Build last month. According to him, “AgentWeb is rebuilding the entire technology stack, creating new opportunities for developers at every layer.”
His commitment to preparing future technical experts is not limited to philosophy and product development. Earlier this year, Microsoft announced key initiatives in India as part of its broader global AI strategy. In a partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), the company has pledged its skills to 500,000 students, educators, developers, government officials and female entrepreneurs nationwide by 2026.
Key elements of this partnership include the creation of an AI Center of Excellence, named “AI Catalysts,” which aims to foster rural innovation and strengthen a growing community of 100,000 AI developers. Additionally, Microsoft has set up 20 AI productivity labs at the National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIS) and Nielit Centres, designed to train 20,000 educators in the concept of Core AI in 10 states of India.
This practical skill push is focused on mastering the basics by Nadella. As AI continues to be more refined, it is most likely that it will thrive by combining a powerful technical foundation with the ability to effectively collaborate with AI tools.
So, if you're planning on trying out Tech, take it from Nadella. AI might write code, but it's human ingenuity to define what the code should do.
