AI Automation Drives Tech Layoffs and Coding Shift

The software engineering profession is undergoing a fundamental shift as artificial intelligence increasingly automates code generation. Google reports that AI now writes 75% of its code, transitioning the primary role of human engineers from writing lines of code to reviewing and validating AI-generated output.

This transition coincides with significant labor instability. Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, more than 600,000 tech jobs in the United States have been lost, and university enrollments in computer science have declined. Industry experts note that the value of manual coding is diminishing in favor of system design and AI direction.

In response to these disruptions, some engineers are re-tooling for AI-centric roles, while others are pursuing collective action. Kaitlin Cort founded the resource center What We Will in February to assist tech workers with layoff navigation, severance negotiation, and union organization, specifically targeting employees at Meta, Oracle, and Amazon.