CHENNAI: When it first entered public consciousness, Artificial Intelligence was nothing short of magic. It immediately sparked a rush to learn more to understand this new phenomenon – businesses wanted to incorporate it, techies and tech companies sought to make use of its capabilities, and even artists wanted to make use of it as an assistant to their creative ventures.
Then came the next wave, this time from students, parents, and institutions, to prepare the manpower capable of doing the backend work for the next generation of AIbased tools.However, after the initial rush, there seems to be a reset.
After witnessing waning interest over the past few years, core engineering courses such as electronics and communication engineering (ECE) and electrical and electronics engineering (EEE) are once again gaining attention among students.
One of the main reasons for this shift is the lack of proper infrastructure in many institutions to teach AI and Data Science effectively. Without strong practical exposure and industry level training, students are sceptical about the value of these specialised courses.
In recent years, computer science and IT courses have been the top choice for most students because of the large number of job opportunities in the IT sector. However, recent layoffs in major IT companies have created uncertainty over jobs. This has made students and parents rethink their decisions, prompting many to look towards core engineering fields as more stable career options.
Courses like AI and Data Science have become very popular under BE and B Tech programmes. But education experts say that interest in these courses is now gradually decreasing. In the case of AI, India is still mostly seen as a country that uses AI technologies rather than creating new ones. This raises questions about career opportunities within India for students who choose only specialised AI courses.
Speaking to DT Next, educationist Jayaprakash Gandhi said students and parents should not focus only on AI as a trend. Instead, they should concentrate on building strong practical skills, especially in handling data and using technology effectively.
Meanwhile, the demand for ECE and EEE courses is witnessing a fresh boom. Fields like robotics, AI hardware, and automotive electronics, especially in electric vehicles (EVs), are creating new job opportunities for ECE students. Areas such as semiconductor design, VLSI, and chip manufacturing are also growing fast, he said.
The Indian government’s push towards semiconductor production and electronics manufacturing has further increased confidence in ECE as a strong career option, which is a major driver for the shift.
EEE is also becoming popular again due to the growth of electric vehicles, which has led to increasing demand for trained manpower to work on motors, batteries, and power electronics. Similarly, the expansion of the power sector is also increasing the demand for EEE graduates. Speaking to DT Next, educationist R Ashwin pointed out that the slowdown in IT job opportunities is clearly visible in the reduced number of students choosing computer science and IT courses. On the other hand, in several top engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu, seats in the core branches are filling up quickly, even under management quota, he said.
Ashwin also noted that many colleges have increased the intake in core courses this year. This is a marked shift from recent years, as the same institutions had reduced the number of seats due to less interest among students to pursue these courses.
Overall, the trend shows that while AI and Data Science are still important, students are now looking for courses that offer practical skills and stable career opportunities. Core engineering fields like ECE and EEE seem to be benefiting from this shift.