Software Architects are endangered species now. But not juniors.

by Dmitry Kirsanov 16. February 2023 16:18

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a buzzword in the tech industry for the past decade. The advancements in AI have transformed the way we live and work, but it has also caused a lot of anxiety among developers who fear that AI may take over their jobs. However, the truth is that AI is not a threat to junior software developers, but rather… software architects.

A software architect is responsible for designing the structure of a software system. They create high-level designs that guide the development team in building the software. Software architects follow guidelines and patterns more strictly than "lower level" developers, as they have a broader perspective of the project and need to ensure that the software is scalable, maintainable, and meets the client's requirements. The result of their work is very structured documentation created by a template, which includes software design principles, architecture patterns, and guidelines.

The threat to software architects from AI is not in the sense that AI will replace them, but rather that it will change the way they work, it will allow senior developers to do the architecture and let a human architect to make changes… Which means that large companies will need less architects. AI can be used to automate tasks that are currently performed by architects, such as generating schemas, providing arguments for particular technology and approaches, analysing requirements, and validating designs. This means that software architects will need to adapt to the changing landscape and learn new skills to stay relevant.

However, this does not mean that junior software developers are “completely safe” from the impact of AI, it just means they will work differently too, and in a good way so. AI is already being used to automate repetitive tasks, such as testing, debugging, and code review. This means that junior developers will have more time to learn new skills and bring value in more creative ways.

The key to staying relevant in the age of AI is to embrace change and continuously learn new skills. Which, by the way, changed too, but that’s topic for another discussion. Junior software developers should focus on improving their programming skills and learning new languages, frameworks, and tools. They should also learn about AI and how it can be used to enhance their work. Software architects, on the other hand, should focus on developing their strategic and analytical skills. In large companies and for architects supporting the development of old internal projects, this is a real issue, and these guys are up for a reality check.

In conclusion, AI is not a threat to junior software developers, but rather software architects. Software architects follow guidelines and patterns more strictly than "lower level" developers, and the result of their work is very structured documentation created by a template. However, both junior developers and software architects will need to adapt to the changing landscape and learn new skills to stay relevant in the age of AI. It is crucial to embrace change and continuously learn to remain competitive in the tech industry.

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