“6–12 Months and Then It’s Over”: Anthropic CEO Predicts AI Will Replace Software Engineers

The CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, has delivered a startling prediction that has shaken the software industry: within the next 6–12 months, the role of software engineers could largely disappear as AI takes over the entire process of software development and coding.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Amodei warned that the time when human software engineers are indispensable is rapidly approaching its end. He revealed that even engineers at Anthropic now rely heavily on AI models to write code. According to him, the next six months to a year will mark the moment when AI can handle coding tasks from start to finish, effectively replacing human programmers.

Software Engineers Face a Short Timeline
Reports indicate that Amodei gave software engineers an implicit 6–12 month ultimatum during his WEF session. He openly stated that many Anthropic engineers no longer write code themselves, instead generating it through AI systems. If this trajectory continues, coding—a domain long considered the core stronghold of human programmers—may soon be entirely automated. The speed of this shift has exceeded expectations.

The Changing Culture of Software Development
Amodei highlighted the growing trend of “vibe coding”, where developers provide instructions in natural language rather than traditional programming languages to create apps or software. He also reiterated a prior claim that by 2026–27, AI models will be capable of performing work at the level of Nobel Prize-winning researchers, while acknowledging that tasks like chip manufacturing and AI training still require time.

Anthropic and Claude’s Growing Power
Anthropic’s AI tool Claude is becoming one of the most capable coding assistants available. No longer limited to simple chatbot interactions, Claude now functions more like a full-fledged AI agent, capable of managing entire workflows. Recent features such as cloud-based code execution and real-time computing allow Claude to operate systems autonomously. Amodei’s statement has sent shockwaves across the industry, leaving software engineers contemplating a very uncertain future.