AI won't replace developers; it will multiply their impact, says GitHub CEO

GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke is doubling down on his belief that artificial intelligence (AI) is not a threat to software developers, but rather a catalyst for transformation across the industry. Speaking on the Silicon Valley Girl podcast during VivaTech in Paris, Dohmke argued that companies embracing AI are more likely to hire more developers, not fewer.

“The companies that are the smartest are going to hire more developers,” Dohmke said. “Because if you 10x a single developer, then 10 developers can do 100x.”

AI as a Productivity Multiplier

According to Dohmke, AI is not just accelerating the productivity of professional developers; it's also lowering the barriers to entry for beginners. Tasks that once required an entire team of engineers can now be tackled by smaller groups or even individuals, thanks to AI-powered tools.

“The most frustrating thing when you're learning something is that you're stuck somewhere, and then you have nobody at home or in your family or friends who can help you with that, because they're all non-technical,” he explained. “So, when we're saying AI is democratising access, that's what we mean. Everyone who wants to learn it can learn it.”

While AI can empower consumer-level developers to build micro apps or automate simple workflows, Dohmke emphasised that the demand for skilled professionals remains strong. “There’s going to be a much bigger range — from consumer developers who build their own micro apps, all the way to professional developers building advanced AI systems,” he said.

Not a Shortcut to Success

Despite the growing capabilities of AI tools, Dohmke cautioned against the idea that coding knowledge is no longer necessary. “Relying solely on AI without any coding knowledge to build a big business is a flawed assumption. Because if that were the case, everyone would do it,” he told Business Insider.

He also dismissed the notion that AI adoption would lead to widespread job cuts across the tech industry. While some companies may be in a temporary phase of hiring freezes or layoffs, Dohmke sees this as a short-term response to market uncertainty.

“This is the natural conclusion for the short term — we keep things stable, and we're trying to figure out how the market develops,” he said. “But very quickly, I think we're going to see people that say, ‘Well, wait a second, if I have one more productive developer, why wouldn't I hire another one, and another one?’”

AI Is Creating More Work, Not Less

Far from replacing development teams, AI is expanding the scope of their work, according to Dohmke. “AI has already added more work to the backlogs. I haven't seen companies saying, ‘Well, we're draining all our backlog and we have almost nothing left.’”

He concluded that young developers have a unique advantage in this new era of software development, thanks to their adaptability and tech-savviness. “The biggest upside that young people have is that they adopt new technology much faster,” Dohmke said. He believes that the next generation will treat AI assistants as naturally as Gen Z treats smartphones.