AI is changing what it means to be a software engineer. Computer science and engineering students at the University of Washington, spooked about AI, returned from spring break last week to a surprising email from the department head.
“I’m reaching out because I keep hearing concerns about AI and the future of (computer science) careers,” Magdalena Balazinska, director of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, wrote to more than 2,000 undergraduates. Her message: AI is not killing your job options. It’s expanding them. AI is making it possible to produce more with fewer workers. Anthropic’s Claude, OpenAI’s Codex and other AI tools can pump out code faster than ever, stoking fears that AI will one day replace software developer jobs entirely. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said the company stopped hiring engineers last year, and roughly half the US public believes AI will lead to fewer software jobs in the future. Rapid advancements in software development may be a signal of what AI will soon do to other fields. But job openings for developers are growing. Companies believe they will pump out more software now that nearly anyone can be a coder with AI, increasing demand for seasoned engineers to shape these products.
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