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How exposed to AI is a Software Developer?

Of the 19 tasks O*NET lists for software developers, 1 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 3 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Application DeveloperApplication Integration EngineerDeveloperDevOps Engineer (Development Operations Engineer)Infrastructure EngineerSoftware ArchitectSoftware DeveloperSoftware Development EngineerSoftware EngineerSystems Engineer
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
19
tasks rated for this occupation
90%
hold a degree, from a survey of 22
1364k
people do this job in the US
31 of 36
least protected in computing and maths

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

1
  • Consult with customers or other departments on project status, proposals, or technical issues, such as software system design or maintenance

Only with software built on top

15
  • Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system
  • Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints
  • Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces
  • Coordinate installation of software system
  • Design, develop and modify software systems, using scientific analysis and mathematical models to predict and measure outcomes and consequences of design
  • Determine system performance standards
  • Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation
  • Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance
  • Monitor functioning of equipment to ensure system operates in conformance with specifications
  • Obtain and evaluate information on factors such as reporting formats required, costs, or security needs to determine hardware configuration
  • Prepare reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status
  • Specify power supply requirements and configuration
  • Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements
  • Supervise the work of programmers, technologists and technicians and other engineering and scientific personnel
  • Train users to use new or modified equipment

Cannot be sped up

3
  • Confer with data processing or project managers to obtain information on limitations or capabilities for data processing projects
  • Recommend purchase of equipment to control dust, temperature, or humidity in area of system installation
  • Supervise and assign work to programmers, designers, technologists, technicians, or other engineering or scientific personnel
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.