'Will Lead To More...': Github CEO On Whether AI Will Replace Software Developer Jobs
The recent rounds of employee firings and recruitment freezes are temporary reactions, Github CEO Thomas Dohmke said.
Github Chief Executive Officer Thomas Dohmke, during his appearance on 'The Silicon Valley Girl Podcast', said that artificial intelligence would lead to more hirings for software engineers rather than fewer, .
The software company head argued that since AI can multiply the capabilities of a single developer on a larger scale, hiring more skilled developers will lead to more efficient and amplified output.
“If you 10x a single developer, then 10 developers can do 100x," Dohmke said.
Dohmke also noted that a nuanced understanding of programming and software is required in order to leverage AI to augment businesses.
"I think the idea that AI without any coding skills lets you just build a billion-dollar business is mistaken. Because if that would be the case, everyone would do it," he commented.
Dohmke also said that he believes the recent rounds of employee firings and recruitment freezes are temporary reactions, calling them a "natural conclusion for the short term."
He stated that AI has instead created more work for companies rather than the inverse, leading to the need for more developers to take that work on.
"AI has already added more work to the backlogs. I haven't seen companies saying, 'Well, we're draining all our backlog and we have almost nothing left'," the Github CEO said.
He also said that AI would "democratise" access to coding skills for many, making it easier to learn coding for beginners and make it easier to code for experienced developers.
“As the technology evolves, so will the capabilities of engineers," Dohmke added.
He also said that now was the "most exciting time to be a developer."
"The dream of software development was always that I can take the idea that I have in my head on a Sunday morning, and by the evening, I have the app up and running on my phone," Dohmke said.
