What Mark Zuckerberg Said About AI and the Future of Coding

By now, you've probably seen that clip of Mark Zuckerberg talking about AI replacing mid-level engineers by 2025. He said it during a company meeting at Meta, and it’s been making waves ever since. He says, and I’m paraphrasing here, that AI will soon write most of the code we use, and "a lot of the code in our apps… will actually be built by AI engineers instead of people engineers."

It’s a bold statement, right?

And yeah, on the surface, it sounds like bad news for developers. But honestly, I think there’s way more to unpack here. People are missing the bigger picture, so let’s dive in.

AI Replacing Coders? Amazon Thought So Too

Okay, so first off, this idea isn’t new. Amazon’s Cloud Chief said something similar back in 2024. There was this leaked fireside chat where he claimed that in a couple of years, most developers won’t even be coding. Instead, they’d focus on solving problems and building things that users actually care about.

So yeah, hearing Zuckerberg say this feels like deja vu.

But here’s the thing the world isn’t ending for developers. Not even close.

How AI’s Coding Skills Are Evolving

Let’s talk numbers. AI’s coding game is getting better, fast. In 2024, models running on the SWE Bench (a benchmark for software engineering tasks) jumped from scoring 38.8% to a crazy 71.7% by year’s end. That’s a massive leap in just one year.

But there’s a catch—cost. These models are ridiculously expensive to run. Until those costs drop, it’s not like every company can just switch to AI for their coding needs. So yeah, we’re seeing progress, but it’s not like we’re flipping a switch tomorrow.

Why Developers Aren’t Becoming Obsolete

Here’s the part everyone’s getting wrong: AI isn’t going to kill software development jobs. It’s going to change them. Let me explain.

If AI Makes Coding Easier, We’ll Need More Software

There’s this thing called the Jevons Paradox. It basically says when something becomes more efficient, we use it more. Think about it. If AI makes coding faster and cheaper, more people are going to build software—for niche apps, experimental products, everything. And guess what? That’s going to create more demand for developers.

Why? Because someone still needs to:

• Debug AI-generated code.
• Make sure it’s accurate.
• Design the architecture.
• Handle edge cases AI can’t figure out.
• Build the AI systems themselves.

The Jobs of the Future Are Already Here

The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report” says software developers are one of the fastest-growing job categories through 2030. And it’s already happening. Companies like Apple are hiring developers with experience in AI frameworks like LangChain. These aren’t your standard coding jobs—they’re hybrid roles that blend coding with managing AI workflows.

More People Coding = More Experts Needed

AI’s lowering the barrier to entry for coding. That’s awesome, but it also means there will be more apps and platforms needing expert developers to scale and optimize them. Businesses will need people who can take what’s been auto-generated and make it actually work.

The New Job Description for Developers

So, if AI’s handling the grunt work, what’s left for humans? A lot, actually. Developers will shift from being hands-on coders to orchestrating AI systems. Think of it like conducting an orchestra instead of playing a single instrument.

You’ll be:

• Managing multiple AI agents to solve big problems.
• Debugging and refining what the AI spits out.
• Designing workflows that make the AI more effective.
• Solving the complex, edge-case stuff that AI can’t handle.

It’s like developers are becoming tech strategists, figuring out how to make these AI systems work together to get results faster and better than ever.

Why AI Means More Power for Developers, Not Less

When Zuckerberg said AI will build most of our code, he wasn’t saying human developers are obsolete. He’s pointing to a shift, from coding every line yourself to orchestrating powerful tools that do the heavy lifting. It’s a new era, sure, but it’s one where developers have more leverage than ever.

The World Economic Forum predicts software developers will still be one of the top-growing job categories in this AI-driven future. Why? Because the more we automate, the more we need experts to steer the ship.

What This Means for You

Look, AI’s changing the game no question. But instead of replacing developers, it’s giving them superpowers. If you’re a software engineer, this is your moment to evolve. Learn about AI workflows, dive into frameworks like LangChain, and position yourself as the person who can manage these digital workforces.

The future isn’t about whether AI will take your job. It’s about how you’ll use AI to do your job better. And if you’re ready to adapt, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

So yeah, software engineers aren’t going anywhere. They’re just leveling up.