On the 31st, Werner Vogels, Amazon chief technology officer (CTO), who addressed technology prospects after 2026, pushed back against the claim that "anyone can code and AI tools will handle things if you just describe what you want," saying, "the era of professional developers is not over."
He said, "There were similar claims when compilers (programs that translate code written in high-level programming languages, which are easy for people to understand, into machine code that a computer can execute directly in one go) emerged, and at that time the number of developers actually increased."
CTO Vogels assessed that as technology advances, new industries and roles are created, and corporations and research institutes have gained the ability to develop tools on their own. He emphasized that, as with the emergence of cloud computing in the 2000s, the simplification of technology has led to an increase in new corporations and engineering roles.
He forecast that with technological leaps, tools will evolve, workflows will change, and complexity will increase. However, he was confident that the core qualities required of developers will still not change, saying that creativity, curiosity and systems thinking are key elements.
CTO Vogels also cited Leonardo da Vinci, a Renaissance artist and scientist, saying that modern developers need integrative thinking across diverse fields. He urged, "To become a successful developer in an era where AI assists work and lowers barriers to entry, you must become a versatile, modern Renaissance developer."
He also issued a warning about the development of quantum computers. He said that within five years, quantum computers could neutralize current encryption technologies such as RSA and ECC, and that malicious actors are preparing for this. But he noted that post-quantum cryptography (PQC) already exists and major technology corporations are adopting it, while household devices still use outdated encryption technologies.