Will AI replace software engineers?

Published on: 21 Nov 2023

As professionals working in the tech industry may know better than others, the age of artificial intelligence (AI) is now upon us and, according to researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, AI could replace software engineers by 2040.

Understandably, this is a worrying claim - especially for software engineers. But how much truth does it hold? The researchers said: “The combination of machine learning, artificial intelligence, natural language processing and code generation technologies will improve in such a way that machines will write most of their own code.”

In a survey by Evans Data Corporation, 30 per cent of software engineers agreed with the statement. They believed that development and engineering efforts would be taken over by AI in the near future.

It’s not just software engineers who should be concerned about the rise of AI, though. The majority of industries stand to be affected by advances in technology. But should experts in this field be worried, or will AI act as a new tool to support them in their careers? Let’s explore how AI is already benefiting engineers and how they can adapt their skills to keep up.

 

How is AI supporting software engineering?

Throughout the past few years, the introduction of AI to software engineering and development has already brought about multiple changes to influence the industry. Here are just a few examples.

 

Automation

Several software engineering tasks have already been automated by AI. From generating code to refactoring, the benefits are leading to increased efficiency and productivity and allowing engineers to reduce time spent on certain tasks and divert hours to the more complicated and vital areas of the role.

 

Testing

AI-powered testing tools can analyse snippets of code, highlight potential risk areas and automatically create test cases. Ultimately, this is helping to identify issues much earlier in the software development cycle and leading to higher-quality end products.

 

Decision-making

Because AI has the power to analyse vast amounts of data in seconds, it can make more accurate decisions than humans, personalise software experiences and predict user decisions accurately. Rapid data analysis means engineers can optimise performance and bolster security measures faster than ever before.

 

How can software engineers upskill for AI?

Just because AI is a powerful tool doesn’t mean it can replace highly skilled professionals outright. Research from Indeed placed the role of a software engineer as the second-most in-demand for AI, which means professionals should be looking to develop skills to work alongside machine learning, rather than against it.

Some of the top skills a software engineer should learn to collaborate with AI include:

  • Machine learning
  • Data science
  • Deep learning
  • Neural networks
  • Data engineering and management
  • Ethical and responsible uses of AI

So, the answer to the question is most likely, no. As a software engineer, you won’t be expected to know every intricate detail about machine learning and AI. The issue is that professionals who fail to adapt to new ways of working could be at risk of falling out of favour.

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