Artificial intelligence is reshaping software development, with industry leaders forecasting a drastic reduction in manual coding. Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu predicts AI will take over 90% of programming work by eliminating repetitive tasks, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman cautions that this shift could eventually reduce the need for software engineers.
AI to Dominate Coding: Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu
Sridhar Vembu believes AI will handle most coding tasks, attributing this shift to the repetitive nature of programming. In a post on X, he stated, “When people say ‘AI will write 90% of the code’ I readily agree because 90% of what programmers write is ‘boiler plate’.”
When people say "AI will write 90% of the code" I readily agree because 90% of what programmers write is "boiler plate".
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) March 22, 2025
There is "essential complexity" in programming and then there is a lot of "accidental complexity" (that is the boiler plate stuff) and this is very old wisdom…
He referenced the distinction between “essential complexity” and “accidental complexity,” a concept from The Mythical Man-Month. According to Vembu, while AI effectively removes accidental complexity, human expertise remains essential for tackling core challenges.
Sam Altman Predicts Fewer Software Engineering Jobs
Sam Altman has warned that AI’s growing role in software development could reduce the demand for software engineers over time. While acknowledging that the transition won’t happen immediately, he noted that “Each software engineer will just do much, much more for a while,” he said. “And then at some point, yeah, maybe we do need less software engineers.”
In a conversation with Stratechery’s Ben Thompson, Altman explained how AI is redefining software development. Previously, coding skills provided a competitive edge, but today, mastering AI tools is the new advantage. “The obvious tactical thing is just getting really good at using AI tools,” he remarked, contrasting the current landscape with the early 2000s when coding proficiency was the primary focus.
Altman revealed that AI is already responsible for over 50% of code written in many companies. He also highlighted the potential of “agentic coding,” where AI autonomously tackles complex development tasks, though he admitted that “no one’s doing it for real yet.”
Altman’s views are echoed by other tech leaders. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently predicted AI will write all software code within a year. Similarly, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg told Joe Rogan in January that AI will soon generate a significant portion of their application code.