Software engineering jobs are not disappearing, university leaders and analysts say

The University of Washington's computer science director emailed more than 2,000 students to say AI is expanding, not eliminating, career options, and market signals show software job listings are rising — Indeed postings are up about 11% annually and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 15% employment growth for developers through 2034.

Students in computer science and engineering at the University of Washington returned from spring break to an email from their department head addressing worries about AI and careers. Magdalena Balazinska, director of the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, wrote to more than 2,000 undergraduates that AI is not killing job options and is expanding them. The note arrived amid rapid advances in code-generating tools, which has raised concern that developer roles could change. At the same time, several analyses and surveys report growing demand for software work. Key facts: - Magdalena Balazinska emailed over 2,000 undergraduates to reassure them that AI is expanding career options in computer science. - AI tools such as Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's Codex can generate code faster than before, contributing to concern about the future of routine developer tasks. - Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said his company paused hiring engineers last year, and roughly half of the US public believes AI will lead to fewer software jobs. - Listings for software engineer jobs on Indeed are up about 11% annually, Citadel Securities found, and a Bank of America survey reports companies are expanding software budgets and increasing engineer headcounts. - Observers report that many engineers are shifting from routine coding to overseeing AI code-writing agents and focusing more on software design and architecture; the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 15% employment growth for software developers by 2034. Summary: AI is reshaping the work of software engineers rather than eliminating demand, with firms producing more software and seeking experienced engineers to guide AI-assisted development. The transition period is creating disruptions for some workers who do not adopt new tools or workflows. Undetermined at this time.