Code.org President Steps Down Citing 'Upending' of CS By AI

Source: Slashdot

Background

Last July, as Microsoft pledged $4 billion to advance AI education in K‑12 schools, Microsoft President Brad Smith told nonprofit Code.org CEO/Founder Hadi Partovi it was time to “switch hats” from coding to AI. He added that “the last 12 years have been about the Hour of Code, but the future involves the Hour of AI.”

Leadership Changes

“I am thrilled to announce that Karim Meghji will be stepping into the role of President & CEO,” Partovi wrote on LinkedIn. “Having worked closely with Karim over the last 3.5 years as our CPO, I have complete confidence that he possesses the perfect balance of historical context and ‘founder‑level’ energy to lead us into an AI‑centric future.”

In a separate LinkedIn post, Code.org co‑founder Cameron Wilson explained why he was transitioning to an executive advisor role:

“Our community is entering a new chapter as AI changes and upends computer science as a discipline and society at large. Code.org’s mission is still the same, however, we are starting a new chapter focused on ensuring students can thrive in the Age of AI. This new chapter will bring new opportunities, new problems to solve, and new communities to engage.”

Recent Developments

The Code.org leadership changes come just weeks after the organization confirmed it had laid off about 14 % of its staff, explaining it had “made the difficult decision to part ways with 18 colleagues as part of efforts to ensure our long‑term sustainability.”

In January, Code.org Chief Academic Officer Pat Yongpradit moved to Microsoft, where he now helps “lead Microsoft’s global strategy to put people first in an age of AI by shaping education and workforce policy” as a member of Microsoft’s Global Education and Workforce Policy team.