5 Key Takeaways
- GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke warns software engineers to embrace AI or risk career obsolescence.
- AI is becoming central to coding, with expectations that AI will write up to 90% of code within 2–5 years.
- Developers' roles are evolving from traditional coding to becoming AI strategists, focusing on higher-level problem-solving and AI-driven solutions.
- Dohmke outlines a progression for developers: from AI skeptics to AI strategists, emphasizing the importance of human-AI collaboration.
- Computer science education should shift to teach AI fluency, agent orchestration, and human-AI collaboration as core skills.
Why GitHub’s CEO Says Software Engineers Must Embrace AI—Or Risk Their Careers
If you’re a software engineer, there’s a big message coming your way from Thomas Dohmke, the CEO of GitHub (the world’s largest platform for developers). In a recent blog post, Dohmke didn’t mince words: “Either you embrace AI, or you get out of your career.” That’s a pretty strong statement, but what does it really mean for people who write code for a living?
AI Is Changing How We Code
Dohmke points out that artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a cool add-on for developers—it’s becoming the heart of how software is built. Tools like GitHub Copilot can now write, review, and even deploy code automatically. This means that many of the routine tasks that used to take up a developer’s day are now being handled by AI.
So, what happens to the role of the software engineer? According to Dohmke, it’s evolving fast. Instead of spending hours writing repetitive code, developers will need to focus on bigger-picture problems and creative solutions. In other words, the job is shifting from “code writer” to “AI strategist.”
The Four Stages of the AI Developer
Dohmke describes four stages that developers go through as they adapt to AI:
- AI Skeptic – Just starting to experiment with AI tools.
- AI Explorer – Using AI to help with debugging and basic code generation.
- AI Collaborator – Working alongside AI on more complex tasks.
- AI Strategist – Overseeing and guiding AI systems to build and verify entire solutions.
At the highest level, developers will spend less time typing out code and more time designing systems, crafting the right prompts for AI, and making sure everything works as it should.
The Future: 90% of Code Written by AI?
In interviews with 22 developers who are already using AI, half said they expect that within just 2 years, AI will be writing 90% of all code. The other half think it will take up to 5 years—but either way, it’s coming soon.
Don’t Fear AI—Work With It
Dohmke’s advice is clear: don’t see AI as a threat. Instead, see it as a powerful tool that can make you more productive and creative. The most valuable engineers in the future will be those who know how to work with AI, not against it.
He also calls for changes in how computer science is taught, urging schools to focus on AI skills and human-AI teamwork.
Bottom Line
The world of software development is changing fast. If you’re a developer, now’s the time to learn how to use AI—not just to keep your job, but to make it more interesting and impactful than ever before.
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