Will AI Replace Software Developers? Quiz

Answers and explanations appear as you take the quiz.

1. What is the guide's core claim about AI and software developers?
   • AI will replace all developers within a year
   • AI has no effect on developer work
   • AI will affect only front-end developers
   • AI is unlikely to replace the profession in the near term but changes tasks and valued skills
2. Which tasks does the guide say shift most toward AI?
   • Working out what users actually need
   • Tasks with clear specifications and easy verification, like test scaffolding and migrations
   • Designing systems maintained for years
   • Debugging failures that span several services
3. What did the 2025 METR randomized study find?
   • Experienced developers took longer with AI tools, even though they believed they were faster
   • AI tripled every developer's speed
   • Developers refused to use the tools
   • Only junior developers were studied
4. Why does the guide say hiring trends are hard to attribute to AI alone?
   • No hiring data exists
   • AI is the only cause of hiring changes
   • Tech hiring slowed after 2022 alongside higher interest rates and post-pandemic corrections
   • Developer hiring rose sharply everywhere
5. What do agentic coding tools add beyond simple code completion?
   • Nothing different
   • A loop of planning, editing files, running tests or commands, reading output and retrying
   • Only faster autocomplete
   • Graphic design features
6. Why are invented package names a security risk?
   • They slow down compilation
   • They raise license costs
   • They break code formatting
   • Attackers can register those names and publish malicious code under them
7. Which set of safeguards does the guide recommend for AI-written code?
   • Small pull requests, mandatory human review, static analysis and dependency checks in CI
   • Skipping review for AI-generated code
   • Disabling tests to move faster
   • Merging large batches of changes at once
8. How does the guide connect the Jevons paradox to software development?
   • AI will make software illegal to sell
   • Developers will be paid less by law
   • Cheaper software may increase overall demand for software, though this is uncertain
   • Companies will always hire more juniors