The big question for software developers everywhere isn't about enterprises getting returns on their investments from AI. Instead, it's a more visceral concern for their employment and future. It's not necessarily that their jobs are potentially jeopardised (they are, as are many other white collar roles), but more about what becomes of the software developer as efficient methods of software creation mature. If it seems grim, that's one possibility. The other is that the future is bright.

A person perfectly placed to provide a view on this pressing issue is GitHub's regional VP Sharryn Napier. And the first thing she confirmed is that the sheer pace of change has caught almost everyone by surprise. "When I joined GitHub in 2022, there wasn't AI- anything. Not models, not tokens, not frontiers. It was about robust and secure development lifecycles to ship good software securely."

This comment is telling, because it perfectly encapsulates the wave that, for many developers, is engulfing them. The easy answer, and one with a good deal of historical precedent, is to adapt, up- or reskill, and accept that any technological advancement tends to benefit humanity as a whole.

The harder one is acknowledging the cold comfort this often deeply unpleasant situation offers for those who find themselves in niches that are rapidly being commoditised.

Napier said vibe coding is perhaps the best example of how the ground has moved. "At first glance it was super cool, immediately followed by 'who would do that because software has to be secure, robust and compliant in the enterprise'.

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