So you’re worried that software engineers have no future now that AI is getting more and more powerful?
I don’t believe this is true.
Before we get into that, let’s divide software into 3 categories:
- Level 1️⃣: software that wouldn’t have been built in the past, but can now be built by non-engineers using AI.
- Level 2️⃣: software that would have been built by software engineers in the past, but can now be built by non-engineers. This is where software engineers are being replaced.
- Level 3️⃣: software that has to be built by specialized people. You know, those we call software engineers.
How software will be divided into these categories will depend on how far we can push it. We might get to a point where software engineers are not looking at code at all, but I don’t believe we’ll get to the point where level 3 becomes niche or disappears. In other words: we will always need specialized people steering AI and making modifications to build software.
These people will be engineers.
The cool thing about level 1 is that it’s an efficient candidate pool for natural selection to level 3. Domain experts can do their own experimentation before having to bring an engineer on board and they can show, not tell when they do. If we follow Jevons Paradox this increase in accessibility will lead to an increased demand for software, though the demand will partly be met without the intervention of an engineer.
This, together with updating existing software to leverage AI will keep software engineers in great demand.
But huge amounts of software engineers are being laid off because of AI!
I think the layoffs we’re seeing are a reaction to economic uncertainty or a hiring reset rather than a sign of a future without software engineers.
One thing is certain: software engineering will look very differently a year from now than it did a year ago.