A Profession Believed To Be Protected From AI May Actually The First One To Become Obsolete Because Of It
fizkes | ShutterstockIn a world where artificial intelligence has placed several human-oriented careers at stake, there is one specific type of job that everyone always assumed would be safe from the AI takeover: those involved in the creation and development of it.
However, trends are now showing that even these jobs are in jeopardy. As AI technology accelerates at an unprecedented pace, the question is no longer about how much it will change, but whether it will survive at all.
Software engineers are worried that AI is making their jobs obsolete.
Since the general popularization of artificial intelligence in 2022, many white-collar workers feared that their jobs would eventually be replaced by this growing technology. The capabilities of AI improved quite rapidly, further fueling the idea that the work of writers, lawyers, accountants, and even customer service representatives would be vulnerable to automation.
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Software engineers, on the other hand, never saw a reason to worry. More and more companies were hiring in the field of software development in 2022. They needed human programmers to write the code that would eventually become well-known large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
The advanced abilities of these artificial intelligence models are now causing some to speculate that the technology will eventually cause the field of software engineering to become obsolete, with AI having the skills to perform hours, days, or even weeks of work within minutes.
In March of 2025, Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei stated, "I think we will be there in three to six months, where AI is writing 90% of the code. And then, in 12 months, we may be in a world where AI is writing essentially all the code." While many are skeptical of these specific claims, the idea still reflects the uncertainty surrounding AI and its implications for the future.
Fortunately, AI isn't capable of replacing every aspect of a software engineer's job.
In theory, it might seem like AI can do everything a human worker can do. It can brainstorm ideas, write code, and polish products in an exceptional way, all without ever needing a paycheck or bathroom breaks.
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But the value of having human workers in the field of software development doesn't just lie in their individual capabilities. It's about their experiences and their ability to understand what it is that people truly need.
AI can hold information and recognize patterns, but it often lacks the unique contextual understanding and judgment needed to make decisions independently. Human developers are still crucial for reviewing code, doing quality checks, and adapting solutions to unique organizational needs.
Rather than eliminating the career of software engineering entirely, AI is simply changing the way they do their work. Simple and repetitive tasks can be easily automated, leaving more time for workers to develop high-level skills in system design and problem-solving.
The key, many are finding in the modern day, is not to throw up our hands and let AI take control. It's learning how to efficiently work alongside it so we can spend more time on what really matters to us. That's something AI could never replace.
Kayla Asbach is a writer with a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
