AI may soon replace software engineers, says AWS CEO
Matt Garman, the CEO of Amazon Web Services (AWS), has suggested that artificial intelligence (AI) could soon take over many coding tasks. This shift would necessitate software engineers to acquire new skills. Garman shared these insights during an internal discussion in June, as reported by Business Insider. He projected that within the next two years or so, most developers might not be coding anymore.
Coding is not the skill in and of itself
Garman emphasized that coding is merely a language used to communicate with computers, not the skill itself. The actual skill, according to him, lies in innovation and creating something intriguing for end users. He believes that this evolution means software developers will need to adapt their roles, focusing more on understanding customer needs and what they're trying to build rather than writing code.
AI's impact on jobs and new opportunities
The rise of AI has sparked debates about its potential to change or even eliminate jobs. Companies are increasingly investing in AI development, sometimes at the cost of employee layoffs. However, Garman's perspective is not a warning about job extinction due to AI but an optimistic outlook on new creative opportunities for developers. He stated that AWS is assisting employees in learning about new technologies and enhancing their productivity with AI assistance.
Developer roles in 2025 will be different
"Being a developer in 2025 may be different than what it was as a developer in 2020," Garman said. AWS spokesperson Aisha Johnson clarified that Garman's comments were about opportunities for developers to achieve more with new AI tools, not a forecast of their diminishing roles. Other tech leaders like NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella have also predicted similar AI-driven changes in developer jobs.
