Meta’s AI Chief Urges Teens to Master Artificial Intelligence
Meta’s head of artificial intelligence, Alexandr Wang, is encouraging teenagers to prioritize learning AI tools, asserting that the current technological landscape presents a similar opportunity to that experienced by early computer programmers like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
Speaking on the TBPN podcast during Meta Connect 2025 yesterday, Wang stated, “If you’re 13 right now, you should spend all of your time vibe-coding.” He believes that extensive experimentation with AI – dedicating thousands of hours to it – will provide young people with a significant competitive edge in the future job market. “This is the Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg moment. The people who grow up with these tools will have an immense advantage in the future economy,” Wang added. He emphasized the importance of simply learning “how to use the [AI] tools maximally.”
Wang, who became a self-made billionaire at 25 after founding Scale AI, likened the current AI revolution to the rise of personal computers, noting that those who immersed themselves in computing early on reaped substantial benefits. This advice centers around “vibe-coding,” a hands-on learning method also championed by Google CEO Sundar Pichai, which focuses on actively building, testing, and experimenting with AI coding assistants rather than relying on traditional coursework. Understanding how to effectively prompt and refine outputs from AI models is becoming a crucial skill, as detailed in resources like IBM’s guide to prompt engineering.
The push to equip the next generation with AI skills comes as the technology continues to rapidly evolve and integrate into various sectors, potentially reshaping the global economy. Wang stated, “You should spend all of your time Vibe, coding, and just, you know. That’s how you should live your life.” Meta is actively building its AI capabilities, as reported in this recent Headlinez News report, and sees a future where AI literacy is paramount.
Company officials stated they expect to see increased demand for AI-proficient workers in the coming years and are encouraging educational institutions to adapt their curricula accordingly.
Meta’s chief AI officer and one of the highest-paid employees at the company, Alexandr Wang, is urging teenagers to dedicate their time to mastering artificial intelligence (AI) tools, comparing the current moment to when Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg learned computer programming in their youth.“If you’re 13 right now, you should spend all your time vibe-coding,” Wang said on the TBPN podcast during Meta Connect 2025. Wang argued that young people who invest thousands of hours in AI experimentation will gain a significant advantage over their peers in the future economy.“This is the Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg moment. The people who grow up with these tools will have an immense advantage in the future economy,” Wang added.
He said that kids “just have to figure out how to use the [AI] tools maximally”, because that will be a huge advantage.
Wang compares AI to the PC revolution
Wang, who became the youngest self-made billionaire at age 25 after founding Scale AI, drew parallels between today’s AI revolution and the emergence of personal computing.“It’s almost like when personal computers first came about. Computing, in general, the people who spent the most time with it, grew up with it, had this immense advantage in the future,” he said.
What is vibe-coding
Wang’s advice centers on “vibe-coding” – a term that has also been used by Google CEO Sundar Pichai – is a hands-on learning approach where people actively build, test and experiment with AI coding assistants rather than relying on formal courses or structured learning.The term describes a rapid-experimentation method for understanding how AI systems operate and execute tasks. Vibe-coding has gained popularity among technology professionals as AI-powered development tools have become more sophisticated.“You should spend all of your time Vibe, coding, and just, you know. That’s how you should live your life,” Wang said.The approach involves repeatedly prompting AI models, refining outputs and gradually learning how to effectively command these systems. “If you just happen to spend, like, 10,000 hours playing with the tools and figuring out how to use them better than other people, that’s a huge advantage….You just have to figure out how to use the tools maximally,” Wang said.
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