What’s happening
AI coding assistants are used widely, and AI agents increasingly handle whole tasks like fixing bugs and writing tests. Automatically deploying and repairing code in live systems is still mostly supervised closely.
Timing: LATER — roughly 3–7 years before this becomes structural.
Why it matters
Software is at the heart of every business. If AI takes over much of its creation and upkeep, the role of developers, the cost of software and the pace of change all shift dramatically.
What would make it real
- AI-written code handles a large share of production changes safely
- Tools that reliably catch AI errors before they reach users
- Companies reorganize engineering teams around AI
What would kill it
- AI-generated code creates security holes or outages
- Hard-to-maintain code piles up
- Regulation requires human review of all changes