'AI is changing what it means to be a software developer': New study finds junior workers are scared for their long-term careers as AI takes over

Date:
Wed, 04 Nov 2026 11:10:00 +0000

Description:
Developers feel they need to use AI to tick a box, but they don't think it always helps and many feel unsupported by employers.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Junior and mid-career
developers feel unsupported by their employers 58% say simply 'using AI' has become a key metric at work Half have shifted from using AI to managing AI agents More than half (54%) of software developers are now feeling anxious about their long-term career prospects not because AI has replaced them, but because the technology's simply changed their roles that much that they feel they need a whole different set of skills, new research has claimed.

Three in five developers now say employers expect them to accomplish more
with fewer resources because they have access to AI, with over half (55%) reporting increased pressure to work faster. This has led to 61% stressing that software development has changed too quickly a third (31%) think it's negatively impacted their career and nearly half (46%) think it's made the
job less attractive. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: AI has fundamentally changed what a 'software developer' is Software development has changed from writing code to managing AI agents and monitoring output,
the Adaptavist report found. This is true of half (51%) of the survey's respondents, who feel they now 'manage' AI instead of just 'use' it.

But many workers now feel that using AI alone has become a metric for their employers one in two admit to using AI primarily to show their managers that they're using it, not because it's actually helping. Many use it more frequently than it's needed simply to appease managers, and over one in three (37%) worry they could lose their job if they refuse to adopt AI. You may
like Many developers are using AI just to show off to their boss as most
fear they'll lose their job if they don't use it New study shows concerning rise in developer burnout and growing distrust in how AI may affect their jobs 'Faster code is not the same as better software delivered sooner': New report claims AI isn't solving productivity across the entire software development lifecycle - yet

Rather than using AI adoption as a metric, developers would prefer employers to measure success on the basis of software quality, productivity, delivery speed and cost savings. Just 22% believe usage levels are a valid measure of success, and yet 58% say it's become a key metric at work. AI is impacting developers' career progression Adaptavist found that mid-career developers were most likely to feel AI is negatively impacting their progression
workers who haven't yet climbed the ladder to more senior roles, which could be more protected against AI's impacts on coding. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

But junior developers are also worried about their futures before they even step on the career ladder. Two in five (43%) believe AI has reduced their learning opportunities.

"Organisations need to help developers grow alongside the technology,
ensuring they have the skillset and support to use AI effectively throughout their careers," Adaptavist DevOps Lead Matt Saunders wrote.

Looking ahead, the report calls for organizations to reconsider the metrics they use to determine effective AI adoption, and to support human developer roles amid the transformation to ensure that they don't lose the talent that they'll still need in the future. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/ai-is-changing-what-it-means-to-be-a-software-de veloper-new-study-finds-junior-workers-are-scared-for-their-long-term-careers- as-ai-takes-over


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