Current discussions is like deja vu. One time there was hype around of no code/low code development using PowerApps, Zapier etc.
The sell was - Creating your apps was easier than before. You don't need to know any programming language. You don't need IT. You have a GUI and just drag and drop and visual your apps. Just fill the fields and voila your app is ready.
The criticism of the approach was that low codes apps might not be secure, unsuitable for large scale and critical apps, and lead to increase in unsupported apps by "shadow IT".
The same reasoning exists today for AI coding. Anyone can create apps, its not great for complex and mission critical apps, might not be secure etc. And lots of discussion like your post parsing the future too closely.
Low/no code apps have continue to grow. But many of the low/no code tool users are developers who use it to make their jobs easier.
While some might say - this time it is different. I believe we are currently we are the beginning of the cycle so everyone is excited to use their PowerApps shaped Claude Code/Codex to make their 100th budget tracking app but as time passes and edge cases are figured out the biggest users for AI are going to be software developers (and I believe they currently are the biggest users).
As for software engineering jobs just like before engineers will be expected to output more and faster. This has happened with every innovation from assembly compiler to IDE to low/no code ways of building.
The different levels of expertise exists even today and it will remain so.
You know the people who create elaborate Zapier/n8n/excel automations?
Those are the people who will get the boost from AI coding. They have the "lazy" mindset every good programmer has. You do a thing 3 times manually and then your brain goes, nnnope. This needs to be automated. And you get to work.
With the n8n's of the world they can get something done, limited by what they offer. Same with Excel, there's a limit to what you can do with macros and VBA.
But with an AI agent there really is no limit. I have seen first hand the things domain experts can do when just given a Claude seat and the permission to build stuff. Things I could've easily built, but never would've found out are actually needed.
And doing the same thing with a programming team and project managers in the loop with the domain expert being the product owner would've taken months and cost six figures in salaries.
i don't think it's the same exact conversation. with low code tools you still need to poke around, figure out what you want, what to do, etc.
with the latest agents, you can even be vague and they'll probably do an ok job if it's not something super complicated. some models are also pretty good at stopping to let you know about stuff you haven't thought about and ask for clarification.
so you can outsource thinking now, not just the doing part.
> you still need to poke around, figure out what you want, what to do, etc.
Is it different? because then:
> you can even be vague, and they'll probably do an ok job if it's not something super complicated
That's lot of qualifiers to say maybe, should be possible - how does someone who is not a software engineer know what is complex, vague or ok. There are lot of assumptions to say - This time it is different.
It is entirely possible it is different but I am yet to find a convincing argument.
The sell was - Creating your apps was easier than before. You don't need to know any programming language. You don't need IT. You have a GUI and just drag and drop and visual your apps. Just fill the fields and voila your app is ready.
The criticism of the approach was that low codes apps might not be secure, unsuitable for large scale and critical apps, and lead to increase in unsupported apps by "shadow IT".
The same reasoning exists today for AI coding. Anyone can create apps, its not great for complex and mission critical apps, might not be secure etc. And lots of discussion like your post parsing the future too closely.
Low/no code apps have continue to grow. But many of the low/no code tool users are developers who use it to make their jobs easier.
While some might say - this time it is different. I believe we are currently we are the beginning of the cycle so everyone is excited to use their PowerApps shaped Claude Code/Codex to make their 100th budget tracking app but as time passes and edge cases are figured out the biggest users for AI are going to be software developers (and I believe they currently are the biggest users).
As for software engineering jobs just like before engineers will be expected to output more and faster. This has happened with every innovation from assembly compiler to IDE to low/no code ways of building.
The different levels of expertise exists even today and it will remain so.