Generative AI's 'revolution in productivity' is retrenching software developer roles

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The role of a software developer is in transition -- and it's all due to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI). It's now clear that generative AI models and assistants, such as OpenAI's GPT-4 and Microsoft's Copilot, are adept at churning out code almost instantly in any language, for any purpose. 

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We've entered a period of dramatic innovation in AI and automation and it's going to have a significant impact on the future of jobs, productivity, and the ways we operate in teams. Research predicts that worker productivity could increase by as much as 4x by 2030, powered by AI. We unpack the opportunities and the ways to benefit from this transformation.

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This tech-enabled capability means software developers will face retrenchment. The key debate, right now, is "how much?"

The current verdict from industry observers: So far, so good. 

But there are mixed reactions when it comes to whether it will help developers succeed or displace many of their roles. 

It could even serve to smooth the way to application modernization. 

Also: AI at the edge: Fast times ahead for 5G and the Internet of Things

"Generative AI is dramatically transforming the way developers approach their roles, ushering in nothing short of a revolution in productivity," says Joe Welch, principal and technology leader of Launch Consulting, a division of The Planet Group. "By incorporating GitHub Copilot into VS Code for a recent project, we saw programmers reduce ten-minute tasks, such as writing a small function, down to the 30 seconds it took to simply write out a comment that explains the function. The actual code for the functions is written by Copilot, and often these functions will work out-of-the-box without any need for changes. It's hard to understate the game changer this is."  

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