How software developers can bring value in the AI age

Recent AI innovation is having a huge impact on the field of software development, affecting both companies and individual developers. AI-assisted development is becoming more effective, viable and secure by the day. Because of this, many people are worried about what this will mean for software developers in the long run.

It’s true that AI coding assistants significantly streamline coding and other strictly technical aspects of software development. But the value of developers doesn’t just come from the code that they produce.

The major shifts happening right now actually represent an opportunity for developers to demonstrate the unique value they can bring to projects and products through skills and experiences that cannot easily be replicated by AI. Let’s take a look at a few of the top ways they can do so.

The real value of an experienced software developer

An experienced developer is more than their code. Here are all the different non-coding roles developers and engineers are responsible for on a regular basis:

• They are proactive problem solvers capable of breaking down complex problems into smaller units. They approach problems analytically and creatively. They view challenges as opportunities for learning and growth rather than as obstacles.
• They are effective communicators capable of documenting their work in ways others can understand, as well as uncovering true project needs and translating them into technical solutions which they can explain clearly.
• They are team players who actively listen and engage in communication. They gladly share knowledge and give feedback, both regarding implementation and architecture. They are also able to identify team shortcomings and fill the gaps as needed.
• They are eager learners who actively follow new developments in their field. They are curious, adaptable and focused on both personal and professional growth.
• They are architects capable of seeing the bigger picture beyond the problem they’re currently focused on. They actively consider things like business needs, performance, security and scalability without relying on project managers for technical capabilities.
• Last but not least, great developers take accountability for their work. The code they provide is readable, secure and maintainable.

Architecture, product thinking & quality judgment

One of our team mates recently wrote an article about two possible approaches to AI-assisted coding, in which he highlighted how the rapid development in the field is leading to a point where a single developer will be able to build an entire app by themselves, from architecture to testing and deployment.

He noted that in this new reality, “the engineer’s value shifts entirely to system design, product thinking and quality judgment.” Since the coding aspect of software development is becoming so streamlined, developers and engineers can bring greater value through high-level work related to strategy, architecture and true stakeholder needs as well as upholding industry and quality standards.

Including developers in strategy / R&D work

There has always been value in including developers and engineers in the early (non-coding) stages of a project such as strategy and research & development. Today, thanks to the shifts brought on by advances in AI, it’s become a no-brainer to leverage the expertise of your development team for this traditionally more business-focused part of software projects.

Here are the main ways in which developers add value when included in strategy / R&D work:

• Hands-on, practical industry and technology experience
• Better understanding of challenges and assessment of proposed solutions
• More robust, secure and future-proof tech stack
• Less fixing and/or rework needed, allowing development to be more agile
• Better communication between different teams throughout entire project lifecycle
• Better alignment between all stakeholders and business objectives
• Better alignment with true user/customer needs
• Better use of engineers’ time and expertise

Proactive approach to security & risk management

The main shortcomings of AI-driven development continue to be the risks inherently associated with AI, particularly in terms of security and privacy. These include inadvertently compromising sensitive project information, recommending insecure and/or outdated solutions, and even more direct threats such as prompt injection or log poisoning.

By adopting a human-first, proactive approach to security and risk management, experienced developers are instrumental in uncovering and addressing potential issues early on when resolving them requires significantly fewer resources. This high degree of reliability results in more stable deployments, with software thus produced being more easily scalable and maintainable.

Conclusion

While it’s undeniable that AI is fundamentally changing the nature of software development, this doesn’t mean that developers are becoming obsolete or that their value is getting diminished. What it does mean is that how they primarily deliver this value is evolving beyond the scope of code.

Granted, great software products have always involved programming responsibilities that go beyond the code. With the massive advancements in AI-assisted development, these responsibilities are now no longer exclusive to the most outstanding engineers, but rather more general expectations of all developers above the junior level.