Coding Isn’t Dead—It’s Evolving

In the flood of headlines about AI replacing jobs, it isn’t only writers who find themselves in the crosshairs. There’s another profession that gives equal—or perhaps more—cause for speculation: software engineering.

Some, like NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang, have declared coding “dead.”

Others, like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, offer a more optimistic take:

“I’m less interested in full automation. I’m more interested in what happens when a coder becomes 10x more productive.”

That’s a meaningful distinction. It shifts the focus from replacement to enhancement, evoking a more optimistic view of what AI might actually do for people who write code—not just technically, but professionally.

The 10x Engineer, Reimagined

We’ve heard the phrase before—“10x engineer.” The mythical developer who writes more, ships faster, and solves problems that stump entire teams. But what if such performance enhancement wasn’t a thing of mythology? —but from mere mortals gaining superpowers?

Altman suggests that moment is arriving soon. With the help of tools like GPT-4 and Copilot, developers can automate routine tasks, explore alternative solutions instantly, and spend more time thinking creatively about what to build. In this light, AI isn’t a replacement for developers, it’s a multiplier of their potential. Fewer hours debugging, more time designing. Less grunt work, more time for experimentation.

Of course, Altman has a motivation for making these kinds of statements, but there is no denying the tools are catching up to our imagination.

Where to Focus

While AI can write code, test cases, and even documentation, there are still areas where human developers lead:

• Understanding the nuances of a problem

• Designing ethical and scalable solutions

• Navigating ambiguity

• Balancing performance, security, and user needs

• Mentoring and collaborating across teams

These are not the “leftovers” of coding, they are central to it and remain critical functions only a human can perform. As AI takes over repetitive and routine tasks, developers are freed to lean into higher-order thinking and innovation—the very things that make coding exciting in the first place.

A New Kind of Literacy

According to Microsoft’s Work Trend Index, demand for AI fluency is rising fast. A 142x increase in LinkedIn users adding ChatGPT or Copilot to their profiles signals a shift not just in tools, but in mindset. We’re entering a world where being a great developer means understanding not only how to write code—but how to orchestrate it alongside intelligent systems.

And that’s a good thing. It creates new roles and new pathways with a broader range of entry points into technology for people who might not have seen themselves as “technical” in the traditional sense.

AI is expanding the creative possibilities of software engineering. A solo developer can now prototype ideas that used to take teams. An early-career coder can get immediate feedback and guidance. A company can solve real-world problems faster, with fewer roadblocks. This isn’t the end of the profession, it’s the beginning of a new chapter.Not one where machines replace us, but where they challenge us to grow and evolve.

The Future Belongs to the Bold

Coding isn’t dead, it’s changing. The future belongs to those who are curious enough to learn, bold enough to adapt, and humble enough to work with tools they don’t fully understand or control.

If you’re a software engineer today, you’re not at the end of something. You’re right at the beginning—all over again.