GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke has warned that those unwilling to integrate artificial intelligence into their work should consider leaving the profession altogether.
His statement, delivered through a blog post titled Developers, Reinvented, highlights what he describes as an irreversible shift in the software industry.
“Either you have to embrace the AI, or you get out of your career,” Dohmke wrote, quoting one of 22 developers interviewed for the post who are already using AI tools such as GitHub Copilot in their daily workflows.
The blog presents a stark picture of how quickly the role of a developer is changing. Developers are no longer just writing code. They are becoming system designers, prompt engineers and verifiers, essentially, creative directors of code.
Their value, according to Dohmke, now lies in their ability to delegate tasks to AI, guide outcomes, and maintain quality, rather than manually type out lines of code.
For many, the shift has already happened. Dohmke claims that some of the developers who initially dismissed AI coding tools as “gimmicks” now see them as essential.
Tasks that once required days of refactoring or coordination are being handled by AI agents in hours.
The blog also points to a growing trend in the tech industry: executives using fear-based messaging to push AI adoption. Julia Liuson, another Microsoft executive, recently told employees that “using AI is no longer optional.” Microsoft owns GitHub.
While Dohmke frames this as a redefinition of the developer’s role, not its demise, the message remains blunt. As AI is expected to automate up to 90 percent of code writing within two to five years, those unwilling to adapt may be left behind.
Not everyone, he concedes, will be comfortable managing AI agents instead of coding directly. But for those unwilling to make the leap, the blog ends with a pointed suggestion: perhaps it is time to find another profession.
