Can AI replace programmers, and when?

Developers are increasingly concerned that AI tools will soon replace them. A year ago, I would have laughed at this idea, but after four months of testing AI tools in various programming languages, my perspective has changed.

I was never interested in using AI for development. Years of coding created a comfortable routine, and working with other developers was enough to keep learning. But when I started coaching a team at MUAB, I was asked this question, and my answer then was, "Not anytime soon." Back then, I thought it would take decades. That was just six months ago.

Since then, I’ve had many discussions with developers and even with ChatGPT, who assured me it’s not planning to take our jobs. But I decided to test it myself.

Over the past four months, I’ve relied solely on AI tools for development in PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Ruby on Rails, Python, and even Flutter. My knowledge of Ruby and Python is basic, and I had no experience with Flutter.

Conclusion: AI hasn’t replaced programmers - but programmers who use AI are replacing those who don’t.

What AI Can Do Well

  • Understand requirements for app features and add useful validations.
  • Refactor code with surprisingly good results.
  • Find solutions for complex problems and provide code samples faster than searching online.
  • Translate code between languages.
  • Teach best practices in specific languages.
  • Works best with functions/files under 100–150 lines.

What AI Cannot Do

  • Design or write entire applications for you.
  • Understand high-level app requirements; works best with specific tasks.
  • Cannot multitask or handle unrelated questions during a session.
  • May make random decisions and forget previous context.
  • Cannot directly test your code or output.

What Does This Mean?

With AI, tasks that took a day now take 1–2 hours. Projects that took weeks can be done in days. I built a Flutter app in two weeks, something that would have taken me months to learn from scratch.

AI can already replace some developers, and those using AI are replacing those who don’t. I expect a massive shift within five years.

The lesson: Keep learning and improving. If you’re not progressing, you’re falling behind. Machines are cheaper, don’t complain, and don’t ask for raises. Don’t get replaced.