The Biggest Mistake Developers Are Making With AI (Ft. GitHub Executives)

Is AI making software engineers more valuable or less valuable? I sat down with Martin Woodward (VP of Developer Relations at GitHub) and Cassidy Williams (Senior Director of Developer Advocacy at GitHub) to discuss the future of coding, AI tools, software engineering careers, and what GitHub is learning from millions of developers using GitHub Copilot. We talked about whether AI will replace software engineers, which tasks software developers should delegate to AI, what separates software engineers who are thriving with AI from those falling behind, and how software developers can future-proof their careers in the age of AI. We also explored how GitHub hires, what makes a strong software engineering candidate, the rise of AI coding agents, and how today's AI revolution compares to previous technology shifts like cloud computing, mobile, and the internet. If you're a software engineer, software developer, computer science student, AI engineer, machine learning engineer, or anyone interested in the future of jobs and the future of work, this conversation will help you understand where software engineering is heading next. Videos related to this episode: ============== Should You Still Become a Software Engineer in 2026? GitHub VP    • Should You Still Become a Software Enginee...   Should You Become an AI Engineer?    • Should You Become an AI Engineer?   WTF Is Happening to Remote Tech Jobs?    • WTF Is Happening to Remote Jobs in Tech?   A practical Guide To Becoming An AI Engineer    • A practical Guide To Becoming An AI Engineer   What Matters More Than a Computer Science Degree Today    • What Matters More Than a Computer Science ...   ============== Cassidy Williams is Senior Director of Developer Advocacy at GitHub, where she helps developers build better software and connect with the open source community. She has worked as a software engineer, startup CTO, developer advocate, educator, advisor, investor, and podcast host, with roles at GitHub, Netlify, Amazon, CodePen, Clarifai, and Venmo. ============== Martin Woodward is Vice President of Developer Relations at GitHub, leading developer advocacy, community programs, and global developer engagement. Before GitHub, he spent more than 13 years at Microsoft, where he helped drive its shift toward open source, introduce Git across the company, contribute to the .NET Foundation, and support the GitHub acquisition. He brings nearly three decades of experience in software engineering, developer tools, and open source. ⏱️Timestamp: ============== 0:00 Trailer 1:24 What developer advocacy? 3:55 Is AI making software engineers less valuable? 6:38 What GitHub has learned from millions of Copilot users 7:38 Which tasks developers should delegate to AI? 12:29 How engineers can future-proof their careers 14:48 What separates engineers thriving with AI? 16:56 How AI compares to cloud, mobile, and previous tech shifts? 18:31 Rapid fire 20:55 Will AI replace Software Engineers? 🖥️ My SETUP ======================== Sony Alpha 6700: https://amzn.to/4iccaSj 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Sony Lense: https://amzn.to/3XwDti1 AMBITFUL 19.6"/50cm Mini SE Softbox https://amzn.to/3FXVSOw Godox SL60IIBi SL60II-Bi LED Video Lights https://amzn.to/4hQzljY Zoom F3 2-input Field Recorder https://amzn.to/43XSz3V The full list: https://www.amazon.com/shop/exaltitud... 📣✨Connect with me ======================== 💻 LinkedIn:   / jeanklee   ✉️ Substack: https://exaltitude.substack.com/ 🌸 Instagram:   / jeanexplains   I give advice for navigating your engineering career journey successfully. ⭐️About me ======================== I’m Jean, an ex-WhatsApp early engineer and Meta manager with over 20 years in tech. I was an early engineer at WhatsApp before its $19B acquisition by Meta, then led engineering teams at Meta, where I experienced firsthand how technology evolves and shapes the world. Now, I’m on a mission to break down how AI is changing our careers, industries, and the future of work. AI will transform how we work, learn, and live, and many are overwhelmed by what this means, especially those without access or context. No hype. No jargon. Just real-world insights for navigating AI and what’s next. Credits ======================== 🎵Music: Anno Domini Beats - Like That from YouTube Creator Music 🖼️ All images, graphics, and b-roll videos used in this video were sourced from Canva. I may earn a small commission for purchases made through affiliate links on this website. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Your support helps me continue creating content for you.