Hajra Naz
GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke delivered a bold message to developers. Embrace AI or consider leaving the profession. He shared this in a blog post titled “Developers, Reinvented.” His point was clear. AI is transforming software development at a rapid pace. It’s not just about how code is written. It’s about redefining what it means to be a developer in 2025 and beyond.
Dohmke’s warning wasn’t speculative. It came from interviews with 22 developers already using AI tools like GitHub Copilot every day. These aren’t theories. They are real-world examples of engineers evolving into AI-native professionals. The insight is clear: AI is no longer optional in modern development; it’s foundational.
“Either you have to embrace the AI, or you get out of your career,” Dohmke quoted one developer as saying — a stark reflection of the growing divide between early AI adopters and those resistant to change.
From Coders to AI-Oriented Strategists
Dohmke’s blog shows how AI is reshaping software development. Many developers once dismissed AI as a gimmick. Some saw it as unreliable or a novelty. Now, they use these tools daily. They write, review, and refactor code at scale with AI. Their roles are shifting. Developers are no longer just code authors.
Dohmke calls them “code enablers” or “creative directors of code.” These professionals aren’t just offloading simple tasks. They are rethinking the entire development process. They focus on system architecture, prompt engineering, and context design.
AI handles much of the code generation. But verification, debugging, and optimization remain essential. Now, they are part of a larger framework of AI collaboration.
Read More: Will AI Replace Computer Programmers, or Is It Just a Myth?
The New Definition of Developer Value
Far from making developers obsolete, AI is redefining their value. Those who adapt early gain massive leverage. Instead of optimizing only for productivity or speed, today’s leading developers are using AI to expand what’s possible. According to Dohmke, multi-agent collaboration, complex system refactoring, and large-scale feature builds—tasks that once took weeks—are now achievable in a fraction of the time.
“AI isn’t replacing developers,” he emphasized. “It’s changing the nature of development itself.”
This new mindset requires a major shift. Developers must move from doing everything manually to orchestrating intelligent systems. As AI models grow stronger, this orchestration becomes essential. They need to design workflows, manage AI agents, and ensure quality assurance. They must also learn to work at higher levels of abstraction.
A Career Fork in the Road
Dohmke adds a warning. He predicts AI could automate up to 90% of code writing in the next two to five years. This is based on current trends and developer feedback. As automation speeds up, developers who don’t adapt risk falling behind. Some could even become obsolete.
This doesn’t mean everyone must become an AI expert overnight. But it does mean that key skills like system design, AI literacy, task delegation, and critical review are becoming central to the job. Simply knowing how to write clean code is no longer enough.
“The software developer role is set on a path of significant change,” Dohmke wrote. “Not everyone will want to make the change. Managing agents to achieve outcomes may sound unfulfilling to many — although that’s exactly what programming has always been, just on a lower level of abstraction.”
An Industry-Wide Pattern of Pressure
GitHub’s parent company, Microsoft, is sending the same message. Julia Liuson, Microsoft’s President of Developer Division, recently stated that “using AI is no longer optional.” This reflects a broader industry trend where tech leaders are not just encouraging adoption but issuing blunt warnings: adapt or be replaced.
This kind of messaging is becoming common among AI leaders. Critics call it fear-based marketing. Instead of only promoting helpful features, companies warn about career survival. They use existential threats to push adoption. Whether this tactic works—or is ethical—remains up for debate.
Read More: GitHub Copilot Hits 20 Million Users as AI Coding Tools
A Future Powered by Humans and AI
Despite the stern tone, Dohmke ended on a softer note. He admitted not everyone is ready for such a big shift—and that’s okay. Humans naturally resist change, especially when it challenges identity and long-held skills. But he believes the future of software development lies in partnership. A balance between human creativity and machine intelligence.
“We’re not losing developers — we’re reinventing them,” he wrote.
The takeaway? Developers still matter. But their value will depend on how well they adapt to a world where AI is not just a tool but a partner. The future won’t be about man versus machine—it will be about who can work best with the machine.
