David J. Malan, Harvard professor and face of CS50, shares the origin story of how he went from a struggling student to leading the world's most popular CS course. He discusses his philosophy on engaging lectures through memorable theatrical moments, why CS50 still teaches C as a foundation for understanding computing from first principles, and how the course balances depth with engagement. On AI, he explains CS50's custom rubber-duck tutor built on OpenAI APIs that deliberately avoids giving direct answers, the challenge of detecting AI-assisted cheating, and why students shouldn't fear AI replacing programming — arguing that problem-solving skills and system design thinking remain irreplaceable.
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