Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the landscape of coding jobs, and tech leaders like Sridhar Vembu, founder of Zoho, and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, are weighing in with some bold predictions. If you’re in the software development field, you’ll want to pay attention to what they have to say.
Vembu recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his thoughts on AI’s growing role in programming. He predicts that AI could soon handle up to 90% of coding tasks by automating routine jobs. If you’ve ever found yourself bogged down with repetitive coding, you know exactly what he’s talking about. Vembu distinguishes between ‘essential complexity,’ which still needs human insight, and ‘accidental complexity,’ which AI can tackle effortlessly. He draws on ideas from the classic book “The Mythical Man Month” to support his views, raising an interesting question: while AI can streamline existing patterns, can it discover entirely new ones?
Earlier this year, Vembu stepped back from his CEO role at Zoho to focus on research and development in AI, alongside his personal interests in rural development. His decision underscores the growing importance of AI in shaping the future.
Sam Altman also highlights the potential shift in demand for software engineers due to AI advancements. In a recent discussion, he pointed out that each software engineer might soon be able to accomplish much more, thanks to AI. However, as AI continues to evolve, the need for human coders could decrease. Altman notes that AI is already generating more than half of the code in many companies, with even more groundbreaking developments like ‘agentic coding’ on the horizon.
For those of us in the tech industry, these insights present both challenges and opportunities. It’s an exciting time to be part of this ever-evolving field, and staying informed and adaptable is key.
