Amazon, Microsoft use AI to generate 25% of their code: Will it take away jobs of software engineers in 2025?
🔹 How Much Code Is AI Writing?
- Amazon & Microsoft are reportedly generating 25% of their code via AI—a figure rising toward 30% in some cases—fueled by tools like internal AI agents and large language models reddit.com+14rdworldonline.com+14entrepreneur.com+14.
- Google similarly outsources well over 30% of its new code to AI systems, with human review ensuring quality entrepreneur.com+1indiatoday.in+1.
- Meta’s leadership anticipates that AI-generated code will account for most of its Llama projects within 12–18 months indiatoday.in+1rdworldonline.com+1.
⚠️ Impact on Engineers and Job Security
- Layoffs linked to AI: Job cuts at Amazon, Microsoft, and other big tech giants reference AI-driven efficiency as a driver businessinsider.com+15barrons.com+15washingtonpost.com+15. For instance, Microsoft’s recent layoff of 6,000 employees affected many in engineering roles reddit.com+4indiatoday.in+4ft.com+4.
- Shift in responsibilities: AWS CEO Matt Garman projects that in the next 2 years, most developers might stop writing code manually and shift to overseeing AI-generated outputs reddit.com+5entrepreneur.com+5content.techgig.com+5.
- Junior engineers gain ground: Amazon’s Rory Richardson argues that AI boosts early-career productivity, suggesting that newcomers could benefit more than be displaced reddit.com+6businessinsider.com+6businessinsider.com+6.
🧠 What Engineers Actually Do Now
- AI is more than a code generator: It automates testing, migrations (e.g. migrating 30 k apps saved 4,500 hours), generates documentation, suggests incident fixes—and humans handle oversight forbes.com+2thenewstack.io+2entrepreneur.com+2.
- Human judgment remains essential: Engineers still validate AI code to ensure quality, design architecture, and secure codebases .
- New skill portfolios emerge: Great engineers now specialize in prompt design, system design, AI orchestration, and strategic oversight of AI code businessinsider.com+1forbes.com+1.
🚀 Opinions: Disruption or Opportunity?
AI will augment, not eliminate
- IBM CEO Arvind Krishna projects AI will write 20–30% of code, enhancing rather than replacing engineers content.techgig.com+6reddit.com+6entrepreneur.com+6.
- GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke confirms AI integration but underscores continued hiring—particularly for juniors who bring fresh perspectives businessinsider.com.
Worries about pipeline disruption
- Anonymous Amazon engineers fear junior learning paths are collapsing, with missing early coding exposure affecting career growth forbes.com+13windowsforum.com+13businessinsider.com+13.
- A leading developer on r/developersIndia warns that overreliance on AI could erode core problem-solving and reduce future hireability theguardian.com+5reddit.com+5reddit.com+5.
Optimistic view of expansion
- AI efficiency boosts might follow Jevons’ paradox: more productivity can fuel demand, pushing up both software output and engineer demand reddit.com.
🛠 Does This Mean Fewer Engineering Jobs?
- Short-term effects: Companies are reducing headcount and slowing hiring due to AI efficiencies .
- Long-term outlook: Job roles are shifting, not vanishing. There’s rising demand for engineers skilled in AI oversight, system integration, and strategic thinking .
🎯 What Engineers Should Do in 2025
| Recommended Action | Role in AI-Driven Development |
|---|---|
| Upskill in AI collaboration | Learn to guide AI, write effective prompts, and interpret AI outputs thenewstack.io |
| Focus on higher-level tasks | Emphasize system design, architecture, security, and compliance—areas AI struggles with |
| Mentor and adapt apprenticeship models | Rebuild junior training pathways tailored for AI-era learning |
| Keep problem-solving muscle active | Balance AI assistance with manual coding to maintain core skills |
| Stay agile | Be ready for evolving roles—AI engineer, prompt engineer, compliance overseer, etc. |
✅ Final Take
AI is generating up to 30% of code at Big Tech, transforming routines and enabling leaner teams. But rather than eliminating jobs, it’s redefining software engineering—elevating human contributions and shifting tasks toward strategic, creative, and oversight functions.
The takeaway? Engineers who evolve with AI—learning to work with it, not against it—will thrive. The future isn’t AI‑against‑engineers; it’s AI plus engineers.