Why AI Hasn't Replaced Software Engineers, and Won't
Simon Willison's Weblog·4 hours ago·Commentary
Princeton researchers Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kappor examine software engineering — AI's most exposed profession — and find no evidence of mass displacement. New York WARN Act data shows zero AI-related layoff disclosures after a full year of filings. Their qualitative analysis identifies three automation-resistant bottlenecks: specifying what to build, verifying outcomes, and the deep contextual understanding of codebases, businesses, and environments that only humans accumulate.
