OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes that learning to master AI tools is currently the top priority for anyone aiming to learn to code. In a recent interview, he emphasized that AI algorithms designed to assist with coding tasks are already being widely adopted by major companies.
Speaking with American analyst Ben Thompson, Altman shared that when he was finishing school, the logical tactical goal at the time was to learn how to code well. However, in today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, he believes “the obvious tactical goal is just to learn how to use AI tools really well.”
This perspective is not unique to Altman. Many leading tech executives agree, observing that AI is becoming increasingly proficient at generating code. For instance, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated earlier this month that AI may start writing all the code for software engineers within the next year. Similarly, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg mentioned that his company is actively developing an AI algorithm capable of writing “most of the code in our apps.”
The Shift Towards Automation in Coding
Altman pointed out that learning to use AI tools is essentially the “new version” of learning to code. He highlighted that a significant portion of coding tasks is already automated, estimating that at least half of the work is being handled by AI in many companies. “I think it’s over 50% in a lot of companies. I think agent coding, which is something that no one is really doing yet, is going to be really important,” Altman added.
When discussing OpenAI’s hiring plans, Altman acknowledged that there is still plenty of work available for software engineers at present. However, he cautioned that over the long term, advancements in AI may contribute to a reduced need for human coders. “My guess is that every software engineer is going to be overloaded with work for a while. And then, at some point, maybe we actually need fewer software engineers,” he said.
As AI tools continue to evolve and reshape the software development landscape, we’ll keep you updated on how these changes may impact the future of coding and the tech industry overall.