It’s a scary question, as the ripple effect of the answer will be felt all over the world, in every industry and sector. There are already AI Agents, AI translators and AI Editors; at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear about AI Astronauts threatening the intergalactic job market. Either way, my point is that this is much bigger than tech and development as a whole. But to understand the greater implications, we must first examine what is happening right now at ground zero of the AI revolution. What’s going on in tech?
We’ve Always Been in a Brave New World
So, will human beings still write code in 10 years? In short: yes, we will. Though we’re seeing AI coders in a variety of different industries, I suppose it might offer some comfort to know that some of us will still have enough utility to cling to our jobs in the brave new world that’s slowly becoming reality. But there’s a longer, hopefully more interesting answer to the question that goes all the way back to the beginning.
Coding has always been about translating our human ideas into instructions for machines. The only variables that have changed are the tools we choose to use. We started out using punch cards, then eventually developed high-level languages; until recently, we’d grown accustomed to using visual builders, and now, development is AI-assisted.
How Will the Job Continue to Change?
At this moment in time, writing code feels a lot like craftsmanship. But what about in, say, 10 years’ time? I believe it’ll feel a lot more like directing. Instead of asking themselves, “how can I write this function?”, devs will be thinking “what should this system do?”, and “what rules does it need to obey?” They will describe the intent, restrictions, and outcome. The syntax? That’ll be taken care of by the machine.
So engineers won’t become obsolete overnight. Far from it; instead, we can expect a shift in skillset. Memorising syntax will soon become a thing of the past. Instead, systems thinking, architecture, and design clarity will emerge as key areas of proficiency and give human engineers the edge. Anyone can ask AI to put together a login form, but there are few who are skilled enough to design scalable systems that are secure and can resist the most powerful force of all: human stupidity.
But this will still demand that we adapt. The future of coding isn’t just limited to the tech giants of Silicon Valley; it’ll stretch across the world, to freelancers in Berlin, web developers in Manchester, and startups in Seoul. It’s a ‘sink or swim’ moment for professionals, where they can either strengthen their knowledge of architecture, systems thinking, and security, or stick to coding and compete directly with a cheaper workforce that doesn’t take holidays or sleep. There will be a major shift in our understanding of devs, from “people who write code” to ‘people who mould systems”.
But Maybe Coders Aren’t As Vulnerable As We Think
Even without the ominous presence of AI, there’s an argument to be made that code-heavy roles have always been ‘under threat’. Website builders, like WordPress, didn’t kill coders. No-code tools, like Bubble, didn’t kill them either. These technological innovations undoubtedly shaped the world into something new, but they didn’t break it.
Who’s to say that AI tools will be any different? Well, Microsoft is one name that comes to mind, even if, historically, every time coding has become more accessible to the unskilled masses, developers have survived and adapted. We’re still in the early days of this revolution, and the full breadth of economic casualties is yet to be determined.
Closing Thoughts
One thing that developers share with the rest of the human race is that they like to be needed – knowing that their skills are hard to come by and well-earned over years of learning. It’s scary that a machine can come along and threaten that identity and utility. But as a wise man once said (in the 2022 blockbuster, Top Gun: Maverick): “It’s not the plane; it’s the pilot.”
