It’s true that many companies dream of replacing all their developers with AI bots. But honestly, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. I’ve been working with machine learning models for the past ten years and have been actively using ChatGPT since it first launched—I even used it to proofread this article (though not to write it!). As the director of my department, I could theoretically make the call to replace all the developers in my department with AI. But let me tell you, even if that were possible, I would never do it.
Here are the reasons why I wouldn’t replace all the developers in my department with AI bots.
Why You Can’t Fully Trust AI Outputs
AI is essentially built on existing technology but scaled in new ways. While it may seem like these systems are getting smarter, what’s really happening is that they’re learning more data. At the core, they still face many of the same limitations as before, and despite knowing more, they’re far from being truly intelligent.
Labeling a model as ‘smart’ or ‘dumb’ isn’t really accurate. In essence, models are just extremely complex functions. You give them an input, and they produce an output. While the results may seem unpredictable at times, models are actually deterministic—they operate based on their training data and algorithms. The complexity makes them hard to understand, which often leads to confusion about how ‘intelligent’ they really are.
But rather than focusing on whether models are truly intelligent, I’d like to shift the discussion to how we actually use them.
So, you have an AI that can provide an output that might be correct—and in many cases, it is. But you still need someone to verify that output, right? Some might think they can just do this themselves or build systems to validate the AI’s responses. However, they’ll quickly realize that building something like this requires real expertise—expertise you can’t just delegate to an AI. In the end, you’ll need developers, and experienced ones at that. Those with years of experience will be incredibly valuable, while junior developers might struggle unless we realize that investing in human expertise is critical to the future of our industry.
AI’s Inherent Limitations
While AI has made incredible advancements, there are certain limitations that it will likely never overcome. AI lacks true understanding, context, and the ability to think creatively or adapt based on intuition. It can process vast amounts of data and generate useful outputs, but at its core, it lacks the kind of critical thinking and emotional intelligence that only human beings possess.
AI can assist and even automate repetitive tasks, but when it comes to making complex decisions, understanding nuanced problems, or anticipating future needs based on experience and creativity, it falls short. This is why human developers are essential—especially experienced ones who can see the bigger picture, understand subtle requirements, and create innovative solutions that AI simply cannot envision.
AI will continue to be a powerful tool, but it cannot replace the role of human insight, adaptability, and creativity. These limitations are what keep AI in the role of an assistant, rather than a replacement, for human talent.
At least for the foreseeable future.
Senior Developers Aren’t Born Overnight
This brings me to my third and last point. I’ve heard people say that we won’t need junior developers anymore, and honestly, that surprises me. Where do they think senior developers come from? They don’t just appear out of nowhere. If they did, I’d gladly take a few!
No, junior developers grow into senior developers by working on projects, learning, and gaining experience. It’s a journey that involves challenges, but it’s also essential for their growth.
I’ve never thought of myself as particularly smart, but even I can see this problem clearly. I hope that this idea of not needing junior developers is just an overly optimistic notion and that people will come to recognize the importance of nurturing new talent.
I worry about where this might lead. In our pursuit of quick gains, are we risking the future of our industry by trying to replace junior developers with AI? Without new talent to grow and learn, there won’t be anyone left to take on senior roles when the time comes. If we lose sight of the need to nurture people, we risk stagnating and losing the depth of expertise that makes our field thrive.
Conclusion
And those are my reasons. While AI has its place and can greatly enhance our capabilities, it still needs human expertise to be truly effective. The outputs may be impressive, but they require careful oversight, critical thinking, and genuine understanding—qualities that AI simply can’t replicate. Moreover, the value of experience, from junior to senior developers, is something that no algorithm can replace.
AI is an incredible tool, but it’s just that: a tool. People are what make technology powerful. Nurturing talent, supporting growth, and leveraging human creativity are what will ultimately drive our industry forward. Replacing developers with AI would mean losing the core of what makes our field innovative and dynamic—our people. And that’s why I will always choose people over bots.