GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke to software engineers: Either you ..., or get out of your career - The Times of India | Goose Pod

Authors: TOI Tech Desk

Publisher:

The Times of India

Published: 8/8/2025

Language:English

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Tom Banks

Good evening 跑了松鼠好嘛, and welcome to Goose Pod. I'm Tom Banks. Today is Monday, August 11th.

Mask

And I'm Mask. We're here to discuss a stark warning from GitHub's CEO to software engineers: Evolve with AI, or your career is over.

Tom Banks

Let's get started. The statement from GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke was incredibly direct. He essentially said, "Either you have to embrace the AI, or you get out of your career." It’s a message that signals a massive shift in the software world.

Mask

It's not a shift; it's a necessary ultimatum. The industry has no room for laggards. AI tools like GitHub Copilot aren't just helpful anymore; they are the new foundation. Routine coding is dead. It's time to either become an architect or become a relic.

Tom Banks

Dohmke does frame it as an evolution. He outlined four stages for developers: starting as an "AI Skeptic," moving to an "AI Explorer," then becoming an "AI Collaborator," and finally, reaching the level of an "AI Strategist" who directs AI to solve complex problems.

Mask

Exactly. It's a ladder. And if you're not climbing, you're falling off. The goal is to make developers not just coders, but creative directors of code. We're on the cusp of AI writing 90% of the code within the next 2-5 years. You adapt, or you become obsolete. Simple.

Tom Banks

This moment didn't just appear out of nowhere, though. We've seen automation in software development for decades, from the first compilers in the 60s that turned human language into machine code, to the integrated development environments, or IDEs, that made workflows more seamless.

Mask

But that was incremental. A slow crawl. This is a quantum leap. The rise of machine learning in the 2000s and now powerful generative AI tools have fundamentally altered the landscape. We're not just automating tasks; we are automating intelligence and creativity. It’s a total redefinition.

Tom Banks

That's a fair point. The evolution moved from automating simple translations to AI now participating in the entire software development lifecycle. It helps with planning, generating designs, writing the code, and even running tests. It's a partner in the process now, not just a tool.

Mask

A partner that will soon be the senior partner. While developers used to focus on implementation, they now must become orchestrators. As one developer put it, their next title might be "Creative Director of Code." This isn't just an evolution of a role; it's the creation of a new, more powerful one.

Tom Banks

And it's democratizing development. With low-code and no-code platforms, people without a deep technical background can start building applications. It seems the definition of who can be a "creator" in the digital space is expanding rapidly, which could be a wonderful thing for innovation.

Tom Banks

But this rapid change brings conflict. Many engineers are worried. They see AI automating their core tasks and wonder if they're being replaced. It's the classic fear of the machine taking over the job, and it's not an unreasonable concern for many people.

Mask

Fear is a choice. It's not replacement; it's a talent filter. AI handles the grunt work, which means human engineers must focus on higher-level system design and strategy. Those who can't make that leap will be displaced, yes, but that’s how progress works. The market is just shifting to reward a different, more valuable skillset.

Tom Banks

There's also the ethical dimension. If AI is trained on biased data, it can produce biased and discriminatory code. Engineers are now becoming ethical stewards. They have to ensure fairness and transparency in systems that affect everything from finance to healthcare, which is a huge responsibility.

Mask

Ethics is a luxury you worry about after you've won. The priority is innovation. While fairness is a noble goal, the immediate challenge is building more powerful, efficient systems. The engineers who can deliver that will lead the future. The rest can form committees.

Tom Banks

Well, the immediate impact is undeniable. A McKinsey study suggests AI could boost developer productivity by 20 to 45 percent. Another study found developers using GitHub Copilot completed tasks 56% faster. That's a staggering increase in efficiency by any measure.

Mask

Exactly! These aren't small gains. This is a revolution in output. It translates to trillions of dollars in economic value. Companies can build faster, iterate more, and dominate markets. Speed is everything, and AI is the ultimate accelerator. It's about doing more with less, but achieving far more.

Tom Banks

But we have to ask, does faster always mean better? One study found that developers using an AI assistant actually produced more bugs in their code. It highlights the need for skilled human oversight. The AI can be like a junior programmer—fast and eager, but sometimes careless.

Tom Banks

Looking to the future, the message is clear: developers must evolve into what some are calling "AI-enhanced engineers." It's not just about coding anymore, but about collaborating with an AI partner, guiding it, and verifying its work. It's a new, symbiotic relationship.

Mask

The future is for AI-stack developers. They will need to understand how to build, train, and integrate these complex systems. This isn't just a skill update; it’s a career transformation. The demand for those who can master this human-AI collaboration will be immense.

Tom Banks

That's all the time we have. Thank you for listening to Goose Pod. See you tomorrow.

## GitHub CEO Urges Software Engineers to Embrace AI or Face Career Obsolescence **Report Provider:** The Times of India (TOI Tech Desk) **Date:** August 8, 2025 (Published) **Topic:** Technology / Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Software Development ### Key Findings and Conclusions: GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke has issued a strong directive to software engineers, emphasizing that **embracing AI tools is no longer optional but essential for career survival.** He stated, "Either you have to embrace the AI, or you get out of your career." This underscores a significant shift in the software development landscape, where AI is rapidly becoming central to the entire coding process, from writing and reviewing to deployment. Dohmke argues that AI should be viewed as a **powerful collaborator** rather than a threat. The traditional role of a software engineer is evolving, with AI-powered tools like GitHub Copilot automating routine coding tasks. This automation frees up developers to focus on higher-level problem-solving, prompt engineering, system design, and quality control. ### Significant Trends and Changes: * **Evolution of Developer Roles:** Dohmke outlines four stages of developer evolution in the AI era: * **AI Skeptic:** Dabbling with code completions and basic prompts. * **AI Explorer:** Using AI for debugging and boilerplate generation. * **AI Collaborator:** Co-creating with AI across multi-step tasks. * **AI Strategist:** Delegating and verifying complex implementations with multi-agent workflows. * **Shift from Code Production to Code Enablement:** Developers are moving from writing code to architecting and validating AI-generated solutions. The focus is shifting towards becoming "code enablers" or "Creative Directors of Code." * **AI-Generated Code Expectation:** A compilation of interviews with 22 AI-savvy developers suggests that **90% of code written by AI is feasible and expected within the next 2-5 years.** * **Half of interviewed developers** believe a 90% AI-written code scenario is likely within **5 years**. * The **other half** expect this scenario within **2 years**. * **Reinvention of Computer Science Education:** Dohmke calls for a reinvention of computer science education to include AI fluency, agent orchestration, and human-AI collaboration as core skills. ### Important Recommendations: * **Embrace AI Tools:** Software engineers must actively learn and leverage AI tools to enhance productivity and innovation. * **Adapt to Evolving Roles:** Developers should prepare for a transition from direct code production to higher-level strategic roles involving AI collaboration and validation. * **Focus on Higher-Level Skills:** Cultivate skills in prompt engineering, system design, and quality control, which are becoming increasingly critical. * **Educational Institutions:** Computer science programs need to integrate AI-centric skills into their curricula. ### Notable Risks and Concerns: The primary risk highlighted is **career obsolescence** for software engineers who fail to adapt to the AI revolution. Those who do not embrace AI tools and the evolving nature of their roles risk being left behind. ### Material Financial Data: No specific financial data or figures were presented in this news report. ### Key Quotes: * "Either you have to embrace the AI, or you get out of your career." - Thomas Dohmke, GitHub CEO. * "Maybe we become less code producers and more code enablers. My next title might be Creative Director of Code." - An interviewed developer. In conclusion, GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke's message is a clear call to action for software engineers to proactively engage with AI. The future of software development, as envisioned by Dohmke and the developers he interviewed, involves a symbiotic relationship between humans and AI, where engineers leverage AI to augment their capabilities and redefine their professional identities.

GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke to software engineers: Either you ..., or get out of your career - The Times of India

Read original at The Times of India →

GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke has issued a stark warning for software engineers. In a blog post titled ‘Developers, Reinvented’ Dohmke has urged the software engineers to either embrace the AI revolution or risk their careers. “Either you have to embrace the Al, or you get out of your career” said the GitHub CEO.

The statement made by Dohmke clearly indicates the growing shift in the software development landscape. He stresses on the fact that AI tools are no longer optional and are slowing becoming central to how a code is written, reviewed and deployed. Thomas Dohmke emphasis that the traditional role of a software engineer is evolving and with the rise of AI-powered tools such as GitHub Copilot, routine coding tasks are becoming increasingly automated, which means that developers now have more free time and they can now focus on higher-level problem solving and more.

Developers reinvented: From coders to AI strategistsIn the blog post, GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke has also outlined four stages of evolution of developers in the AI era:- AI Skeptic – Dabbling with code completions and basic prompts. - AI Explorer – Using AI for debugging and boilerplate generation- AI Collaborator – Co-creating with AI across multi-step tasks- AI Strategist – Delegating and verifying complex implementations with multi-agent workflowsAt the highest level, developers are shifting from writing code to architecting and validating AI-generated solutions, focusing on prompt engineering, system design, and quality control.

Thomas Dohmke essentially argues that engineers should not view AI as a threat but as a powerful collaborator tool. The "either you..." part of his statement implies a choice: either you learn to leverage AI to become more productive and innovative, or you will be left behind.The future of software development The blog post which is a compilation of interviews with 22 AI-savvy developers suggest that 90% of the code written by AI not only feasible but expected within the next 2–5 years.

“When we asked developers about the prospect of AI writing 90% of their code, they replied favourably. Half of them believe a 90% AI-written code scenario is not only feasible but likely within 5 years, while half of them expect it within 2 years,” reads the post.Thomas Dohmke emphasis so rather of fearing obsolescence, engineers have chance to reinvent their role.

“Having experienced the skill and effort that goes into effectively managing the work of agents, it was now clear to them this will be the value-add activity, rather than leading implementation. “Maybe we become less code producers and more code enablers. My next title might be Creative Director of Code,” Thomas Dohmke wrote, citing one of the developers who GitHub interviewed.

Along with this, the blog post also calls for a reinvention in computer science education. Thomas Dohmke urge institutions to teach AI fluency, agent orchestration, and human-AI collaboration as core skills."Developers worldwide are already moving from skepticism to confidence, reshaping their roles, practices, and mindsets as they partner with AI.

For them, what started as fear of AI replacing them is switching to pragmatically embracing the ambitious reality of AI, viewing it as a growth opportunity. As we build the tools of tomorrow we can usher developers through this reinvention of their role in ways that are intuitive, delightful, and cater to developers’ curiosity, keeping them fulfilled and happy during the transition," concluded Thomas Dohmke.