Will AI replace software developers and tech jobs?
Artificial intelligence tools and automation platforms are actively displacing specialized technical roles, leaving software developers facing fewer job opportunities and declining pay. This market shift makes professionals feel like their existing skill sets are becoming obsolete with no clear way to sustain a long-term career.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- Most of it landed at once — the busiest month was September 2026, with 23 people.
- This comes up 16.3× more often in r/salesforce than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1learning AI concepts and trying to transition into AI leadership or architecture rolesDid this help you?
- 2taking extra certifications to adapt to new technologyDid this help you?
- 3pivoting toward human-centric roles focused on strategy and requirements gatheringDid this help you?
- 4Avoiding applying for these roles to protect one's professional resume and reputation.Did this help you?
- 5Joking about sabotaging the training data by feeding the AI incorrect information if hired.Did this help you?
- 6Avoiding learning about or implementing AI toolsDid this help you?
- 7Emphasizing the irreplaceable human element of human resourcesDid this help you?
- 8Waiting to see how the situation unfolds over timeDid this help you?
- 9learning to use AI tools and automation agents directlyDid this help you?
- 10focusing on critical thinking skills instead of basic mechanical tasksDid this help you?
- 11learning how to help companies use AI toolsDid this help you?
- 12transitioning to become an AI specialistDid this help you?
- 13relying on union representation to protect wagesDid this help you?
- 14shifting focus to roles involving human support and special needsDid this help you?
- 15Instructing and reviewing AI agents instead of doing busy workDid this help you?
- 16Transitioning to auditing AI systemsDid this help you?
- 17Focusing on higher-level judgment and risk tolerance rolesDid this help you?
- 18Looking to shift to other careersDid this help you?
- 19Focusing on tasks that require professional skepticism and checking automated workDid this help you?
- 20Testing advanced AI models like Claude to see their capabilities and limitations with network configurationsDid this help you?
- 21Seeking reassurance from online communities that AI will not take over the fieldDid this help you?
- 22Staying on safer traditional career tracks like medicineDid this help you?
- 23Pivoting away from office jobs entirely based on AI fearsDid this help you?
- 24Dismissing AI concerns as exaggerated hype or copeDid this help you?
- 25Using AI as a supplementary tool for organization or finding thingsDid this help you?
- 26Focusing on tasks AI cannot handle, such as putting out fires or handling client and employer communicationsDid this help you?
- 27Making complex entries manually rather than spending time feeding the AIDid this help you?
- 28Consolidating multiple properties under a single managerDid this help you?
- 29Shrinking site teams down to a skeleton staffDid this help you?
- 30Trying to figure out where human instincts are still needed versus automated tasksDid this help you?
- 31Learning to use AI tools effectively to become more productive and act as the 'human in the loop'.Did this help you?
- 32Focusing on gaining deeper technical knowledge and soft skills to remain essential.Did this help you?
- 33Pivoting into areas less susceptible to automation like audit or tax advisory.Did this help you?
- 34Achieving financial independence or being in a position to walk away from work.Did this help you?
- 35Reframing the issue as a macro/societal problem outside individual control or speaking with a therapist.Did this help you?
- 36Focusing on licensing requirements, relationship management, and physical presenceDid this help you?
- 37Getting building automation/HVAC trainingDid this help you?
- 38Learning social media/community buildingDid this help you?
- 39Getting a wilderness skills instructor certificationDid this help you?
- 40Focusing on learning the underlying principles and niche skills that still require human oversight.Did this help you?
- 41Ignoring hypothetical tech timelines and relying on the historically slow pace of corporate technology adoption.Did this help you?
- 42Using human-led teaching with workbooks and physical whiteboards instead of AI tutors.Did this help you?
- 43Employing uncertified teachers or TAs for behavioral oversight alongside AI instruction.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Since the fear of getting replaced is going up day by day, as a Salesforce developer do we really have a choice to sustain in this upcoming market?”source ↗
“Not sure how this will take an impact on the workers.”source ↗
“are others suspecting they need to make a career change as well for fears the role will be eliminated with AI? or am i wrong?”source ↗
“I have been freaking out a bit, especially since they just removed my position (Senior SF dev) at my job.”source ↗
“That all being said, it's been rough out there looking for work (in the US, specifically, remote). The pay is less, the opportunities are less.”source ↗
“I work less, but it's also scary how quickly it got to this point. I fear for the younger accountants. Anyone else facing something similar?”source ↗
“They’re definitely planning to replace the entire financial reporting team aren’t they?”source ↗
“Entry level accounting is going to get decimated by AI. Repeatable, non-judgmental tasks will get automated or outsourced more quickly than they do today.”source ↗
“If you are worried today, you will be worried tomorrow.”source ↗
“Company is actively working on fully automating financial reporting and who knows what else. In my opinion, accountants will still be needed but bowhere near as much as now.”source ↗
“Has anyone actually applied to these and gotten the job??”source ↗
“I don’t even have enough experience to get this job but just curious if anybody here has done it and what it entails?”source ↗
“My company recently had an all hands meeting and announced its plan to automate “as many functions as humanly possible by 2030”... I don’t recommend that anyone choose accounting as a major if they just start college now because entry level jobs may not exist.”source ↗
“But all this talk about “AI will takeover accounting it’s not worth it” talk is scaring me, should I pursue accounting? I don’t want to get a degree in something if it’s gonna be replaced by AI in 10 or so years.”source ↗
“Ive been wondering about those as well.”source ↗
“Wonder what this is going to do for the overall job if entry level accounting is cooked?”source ↗
“I 50% find it both exciting and terrifying. The way I'm dealing with it is just trying to learn ways to use the tools and embrace the change so I don't get left in the dust.”source ↗
“I also suffer from this alongside the anxiety from being currently unemployed and when that happens i just think that in the scenario that we are replaced mostly all of the other jobs will be replaced too”source ↗
“Is it true you should worry about AI or no for the future?”source ↗
“I'm an accounting student, so a video titled "worst degrees in the AI era" put accounting at #1 and got my attention.”source ↗
“If AI does the grunt work, how does anyone become a senior?”source ↗
“So how is one supposed to become a Senior Accountant without starting off as a junior?”source ↗
“It's a hard pill to swallow.”source ↗
“They’re trying to automate everything at my company by 2030. Any other careers I can shift to before it’s too late? 😭 I have 5 years of experience as a staff with some experience on senior accountant tasks.”source ↗
“im thinking of leaving pre med and go into something i have a passion for like finance tho im worried about regretting it in 5-10 years bc ai is impacting jobs like crazy so i need some advice if it’ll be safe for finance”source ↗
“How are you guys managing the anxiety that AI is going to take over.”source ↗
“Which made me think about the future and whether i should change my area of work from bookkeeping and yearend to audit or tax advisory and made me very anxious about my future.”source ↗
“So i need your advice on how you all managing this anxiety.”source ↗
“I tend to think of worst case scenarios and other than global death, what about the job market once AI evolves into AGI? Should the goal be to keep trying to build a career in accounting and work as much as possible before this evolution?”source ↗
“Should someone in my position find it better to cap my dreams/goals and work minimum wage jobs as much as possible to prepare for this?”source ↗
“tax and advisory stuff will cling on longer but the pure number-crunching side is toast, my old firm started trialing some tool that basically does a junior's entire month-end close in 20 minutes”source ↗
“With the rise of AI and self guided touring, I'm already seeing leasing agents and even assistant manager positions disappear in my market.”source ↗
“I feel like this industry is dying rapidly. I've been in this industry for a long time and I've witnessed a lot of changes but this is actually getting scary.”source ↗
“I'm nervous as hell about AI, but I think adapting is definitely doable.”source ↗
“I get the anxiety but I think you're onto something with the licensing and physical presence angle.”source ↗
“My concern is that unqualified teachers will be used for human contact / behavior management whilst AI "teaches". Of course, the rich will still have human teachers - it's everyone else that I worry about.”source ↗
“In states without unions that fight for teachers wages, itll likely mean a pay cut”source ↗
“it is about will my state/district choose a machine over paying me to do the job?”source ↗
“I see this as a clear threat to education. There are charter schools that use this method. 1 “master teacher” with 60 or 80 kids over one class all at once with 2 or 3 TAs to manage kids while the 1 teacher rotates through task rotation style stuff.”source ↗
“you’ll rarely find people who are excited about some technological advancement potentially taking over their jobs.”source ↗
“Now, I don't see this eliminating sysadmins or network folks completely, but I can see how it would realistically reduce a team of 20-30 people to just 5 or 6 a few years down the line.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3What programming jobs are safe from AI?
- 6Will I get fired right before my company's acquisition?
- 2Terrified of losing my first job after college
- 10Why are clients replacing freelancers with AI?
- 4What is my job now that AI does half of it?
- 7Where can I find real-world company AI policies and best practices?