AI Is Quietly Devaluing Software Developers

Once, "computer" was a job title. Before digital machines, women were hired to crunch numbers by hand, they were the original computers. Then, electronic computers took over. The job didn’t disappear overnight, but its value faded. AI is now doing the same to software developers.

Over time, technology doesn't always eliminate jobs, it makes them cheaper. Decades ago, outsourcing reshaped software development. Companies moved jobs overseas to cut costs, sacrificing quality for “good enough” code. AI is now the next wave of cost-cutting, except this time, there’s nowhere left to move.

The work still exists, but its value is shrinking.

The New Outsourcing: AI-Assisted Development

AI tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT don’t replace developers. They make companies believe they can get the same results with fewer experts and lower costs.

• Senior Engineers vs. AI-Boosted Juniors AI helps junior devs write code faster. It doesn’t mean the code is great, but it’s good enough for many businesses. Why pay for experience when AI fills the gaps?
• Code Quality Becomes a Trade-Off Just like outsourcing, AI-generated code is functional but flawed. Many companies will accept this because the cost savings outweigh the risks.
• Less Investment in Deep Expertise Businesses used to nurture developers into architects and system designers. Now, AI-driven shortcuts remove the need to master fundamentals. Over time, there will be fewer true experts.

The Long-Term Consequences

1. Fewer Senior Roles: With AI handling routine coding, fewer developers will gain the deep experience needed to advance.
2. Lower Salaries: Companies will pay less for software development, just like they did when outsourcing became widespread.
3. Quality Decline: Over-reliance on AI-generated code could lead to systems full of inefficiencies and hidden technical debt.

Software Development Is Becoming a Commodity

The biggest risk isn’t AI taking jobs, it’s AI making software development less valuable. The industry won’t vanish, but top-tier salaries and career paths might.

If outsourcing was wave one, AI is wave two. The difference? This time, there’s no new frontier, just lower pay and fewer experts.