Is software development dead in 2025?

Is software development dead in 2025?

It's 2025 and AI is everywhere. Fast. Jobs are vanishing faster than new ones can be created. In tech, the landscape feels unstable - unfamiliar. Everyone wants a piece of AI to stay relevant, but no one's hiring.

I'm Isaac, and I've been in tech for over a decade. In just a few short years, I've seen developers scramble to keep up with trends just to stay employed. The tech world today is nothing like it was 5 years ago. AI isn't new - it's been around for a long time. But recent breakthroughs have made it powerful, practical and wildly popular. Some still doubt its impact, while others are building empires on it. Either way, it's coming for your job weather you like it or not, so better start embracing AI now.

The Developer Dilemma

Software developers are among the most affected by this AI wave. Tools can now generate complex code that actually work. Social media is full of 'vibe coding' videos where apps get built from just a few prompts. Meanwhile, companies are cutting developer roles and replacing them with AI-driven workflows to save on costs. Its easy to feel doomed.

But I still believe: developers aren't done yet.

Why We Still Matter

AI is only going to get even better over time. But it can never replace the accountability a person can provide. This is where we become relevant again.

Our role shifts from coders to curators, from builders to overseers. We become the gatekeepers to guide AI and ensure it serves the right business function. We'll move away from writing tedious lines of codes, to ensuring that it builds the right foundations and tools that will drive business purpose that can scale over time.

We'll move away from learning for loops, to mastering systems design. This isn't the end of software development - it's the evolution of it.

So no, software developers are not irrelevant in 2025.

Our roles have just shifted and we just need to embrace it.