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So how long till AI will be fully replacing a SWE at Google?

Notice parent said "fully"




It's the wrong question.

It's like asking "How long until a bulldozer [1] fully replaces a human construction worker?" A bulldozer is not a full replacement for a human construction worker. However, 1 worker with a bulldozer can do the work of 10 workers with shovels. And 10 workers with bulldozers can build things no amount of workers with shovels can.

[1] I'm using bulldozer as shorthand for all automated construction equipment - front end loaders, backhoes, cranes, etc.


But then the 10 shovel-wielding humans are out of a job, right? The employer isn't just going to give everyone bulldozers.

It'll be one guy with a bulldozer doing the work of ten men.


Buggy-whip makers aren’t around anymore…

New tech drives job changes. Always has, always will. No guarantee that the changes are good for every individual. And there’s no guarantee that they are good in the aggregate, either.


Or you become a bug hunter for 10 AI shovels who are now your senior.


Never? Google will probably reduce their SWE more and more assuming we get exponentially better at LLMs or something better comes along, but it won't ever be fully replaced.


That depends on when we'll have AI and my guess is never. But I may be wrong.


The question posed makes no sense.

Either it's 1 Software developer full-time equivalent (already happened) or all SWEs (never going to happen.)




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