Tech is facing a talent gap, partially due to the dearth of formal data science degrees at major universities — and according to one CEO, philosophy majors are stepping up to fill in.

“You take a look at the vast variety of people that move into the profession of being a data scientist — they do come from traditional computer science. There’s a big population that’s coming out of math, especially statistical analysis, and there’s also a big group coming from philosophy,” Mike Gregoire, CEO of CA Technologies told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” Thursday. “Philosophers understand how to think very logically.”

That type of logical thinking comes in handy when poring through data and building algorithms, Gregoire said.

The assumption that only computer science majors have a place in the new economy is a “very shallow view,” he said.

Gregoire attributed the tech talent gap to the speed at which the economy shifted toward artificial intelligence and deep learning — compared to historical economic shifts.

“This is happening a lot faster, and I think that’s what caught most people off guard,” Gregoire said.

Source: Tech CNBC
Tech has a big talent gap, so companies are hiring philosophy majors: CEO of CA Technologies