Be a software developer they can’t replace:

AI automation changes how we go about our work. It will change who stays and who joins us. But it will not change the essential challenge or whether an expert builder remains relevant.

• Embrace continuous learning as your primary skill.
• Take time to question assumptions until you understand and believe in the beneficial outcome you’re trying to achieve.
• Learn from and advocate for the broadest community of users and stakeholders.
• Use your hard-won experience of what works, what doesn’t, and what breaks.
• Take accountability for what you build and its consequences.
• Do this generously and courageously, even when it’s hard.

The work has always been about more than writing code. It’s about translating human needs into working systems. It’s about understanding what can go wrong and taking accountability when it does.

AI can help us build faster. It can suggest solutions and catch errors. But it can’t replace informed human judgment that asks, “What are we really trying to accomplish? Who might be harmed by this? What happens when this scales? Is this actually solving the right problem?”

The future belongs to developers who embrace both the tools and the responsibility. Those who see AI as a partner in building better systems, not a replacement for human wisdom. Those who understand that our expertise isn’t about knowing syntax—it’s about bridging the gap between human needs and technical possibility.

The question isn’t whether AI will change our industry. It’s whether we’ll rise to meet the challenge of building technology that truly serves humanity.

As long as I am accountable for my work…

AI can give me context, but not learn for me.

It can process information, but not form judgments for me.

It can present choices, but not decide for me.

It can generate output, but not take responsibility for its consequences.

It can assess whether the work is complete, but not own whether the work is good.

It can summarize what happened, but not retrospect for me.

It can map possibilities, but not determine what matters to me.

People can embrace the societal benefits of AI-assisted software, earn compensation using these tools, insist on human accountability and the primacy of human expertise. All the while remaining skeptical of over-promises, wary of unethical practices, and advocates against harm.