Will AI Coding Agents Replace Developers? We Asked 100 Engineers

AI coding agents have moved from novelty to daily-use tools in less than 18 months. We surveyed 100 working software engineers across startups and big tech to find out how their jobs are actually changing.

The headline finding: 87% use an AI coding tool every day, and 64% say their productivity has at least doubled. But only 12% fear being replaced in the next two years.

Why the optimism? Engineers report that AI handles the boring 60% — boilerplate, tests, refactors, documentation — leaving more time for architecture, product thinking, and code review.

Junior roles are changing the most. Entry-level coding is now table stakes; companies want juniors who can direct and verify AI output, not just write code by hand.

The next 24 months will be defining for the industry. Engineers who embrace these tools are pulling far ahead of those who don't.