The rise of artificial intelligence may soon force Amazon’s software engineers to find responsibilities outside of coding, according to the company’s cloud computing head.
Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Gurman predicted the shift in day-to-day responsibilities during a “fireside chat” with the division’s employees in June, according to leaked audio. Obtained by Business Insider This was revealed on Tuesday.
“If we look 24 months from now, or maybe even further out — and I can’t predict exactly when that will be — it’s possible that most of our developers won’t be coding,” Gurman reportedly told employees.
The comments come as Amazon is trying to cut costs, cutting hundreds of jobs this year across a range of business units, including its cloud division and streaming services Twitch and Prime Video.
The shift to AI means job expectations for software developers will change, Gurman added.
This will allow workers to “continue to upskill and learn about new technologies” to enhance their skill sets.
“That means each and every one of us has to have a deeper understanding of what our customers want and what we’re actually trying to build at the end, because that’s going to take up a lot more of our job than sitting down and actually writing code,” he said.
A company spokesman said Gurman detailed how AI will enable Amazon developers “to accomplish much more than they can do today.”
Garman’s comments are not a signal that their roles will be reduced, the spokesman added.
“Matt articulated his vision for AWS to continue removing undifferentiated heavy lifting from the developer experience so developers can focus their skills and energy on their most innovative work,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
While proponents of AI argue that it will make work more efficient and eliminate unnecessary tasks, the rapid advancement of the technology is raising concerns about large-scale job losses.
The International Monetary Fund warned in January that AI could affect 60% of all jobs in the United States and exacerbate wealth inequality.
In May 2023, AI pioneer Mustafa Suleiman, now CEO of Microsoft’s in-house AI division, warned that the technology would create large numbers of “very unhappy” white-collar workers who would be pushed out of the profession.
“Without a doubt, many white-collar jobs will look very different over the next five to 10 years,” Suleiman said at the event.
Meanwhile, Emad Mostakeh, founder and CEO of Stability AI, said: Last year it was predicted “There will be no programmers in five years”
