Zaq Mughal

Brighton (UK) based software engineer with over a decade of industry experience focussing on building robust and scaleable applications for mission driven organisations.

Head of Engineering at Genius Within CIC.

Will AI Agents Replace Developers?

Published on:

In a world where AI agents are becoming more prevalent, the role of the developer is evolving. But what does that actually mean?


The short answer is no — developers don’t need to panic about being replaced. But AI will change the landscape: roles, responsibilities, performance expectations, and how we define progression in a dev career.


Used correctly, AI doesn’t just speed up delivery — it gives developers access to deeper insight into the what, where, why, and how of a problem, allowing them to complete tasks faster and learn more effectively.


Naturally, this means developers could (and arguably should) progress through their careers at a faster rate.


What Does That Look Like in Practice?


Junior Developers


Historically, junior devs have been seen as “support” — handling small, isolated tasks like bug fixes or BAU work. Their growth relied heavily on trial-and-error, hands-on experience, and mentorship from more senior team members.


But that model is shifting.


Today, many of those low-risk tasks — if set up correctly — can be delegated to AI agents. This frees up juniors to work on more complex, meaningful pieces of work. And where they previously needed hours of trial-and-error or a senior dev’s walkthrough, they can now get a digestible breakdown from an AI assistant in minutes.


They’re still learning — but they’re learning faster, with more independence.


This shift means junior devs can make a bigger impact from day one. They're no longer just there to support the team — they’re active contributors. And because of that, they can step into more senior responsibilities sooner than ever before.


Mid-Level Developers


Mid-level developers are often seen as the engine room of the team. They're the ones who churn through the majority of tasks, write the bulk of the code, and submit most of the pull requests. Simply put, they’re the doers.


But in this new AI-augmented landscape — supported by more capable junior developers and AI agents — mid-level devs gain something they’ve often lacked: time and headspace.


With less pressure to deliver at volume, they can zoom out from the code and focus more on strategy:

  1. 1. What is the real problem here?
  2. 2. Why does it matter?
  3. 3. What’s the best way to solve it?

They begin thinking more about infrastructure, system design, and scalability. Their role shifts from just delivering code to designing better systems.


Senior Developers


In AI-augmented teams, senior developers won’t just lead people and projects — they’ll lead AI too.


Their role evolves into setting up the frameworks that allow AI to be used effectively and responsibly. That means:

  1. 1. Defining best practices for AI-assisted development
  2. 2. Implementing governance and workflows around AI usage
  3. 3. Identifying potential risks (like hallucinated code or security blind spots)
  4. 4. Championing the right tools for the team
  5. 5. Staying ahead of the curve as AI capabilities evolve

They’re not just coding or reviewing — they’re orchestrating how people and AI work together.


What Does This Mean for the Industry?


In short, progression timelines will compress. Developers will level up faster, and hiring expectations will evolve accordingly — with teams seeking individuals who can learn quickly and harness AI effectively.


But with increased speed comes increased risk. If anything, human oversight becomes more critical than ever. AI might accelerate delivery, but it’s still up to developers to ensure quality, security, and long-term maintainability.


The future of development isn’t about replacing people — it’s about amplifying them.