AI Won't Replace Developers (But It Will Change How We Work)

After using ChatGPT and Claude for 6 months in my projects, here's what AI is actually good for—and what it still can't do.

Nischal Timalsina
aiopiniondevelopmenttools
6 min read

AI Won't Replace Developers (But It Will Change How We Work)

Everyone's either panicking that AI will take our jobs or hyping it as the solution to everything. After actually using it daily, the truth is more nuanced.

What AI Is Actually Good For

1. Boilerplate Code

I used to spend 20 minutes writing a CRUD API. Now I ask Claude:

"Create a Next.js API route for managing appointments with GET, POST, PATCH, DELETE"

And it gives me a solid starting point. Then I modify it for my needs.

Time saved: ~15 minutes per endpoint

2. Learning New Libraries

Before AI:

With AI:

This is huge for learning.

3. Explaining Code

Got someone else's messy code?

// What does this even do?
const x = data.reduce((a, b) => ({
  ...a,
  [b.id]: [...(a[b.id] || []), b]
}), {})

Ask AI: "Explain this code"

"This groups an array of objects by their id property into an object where keys are ids and values are arrays of objects with that id."

Game changer for working with legacy code.

4. Debugging

I paste my error message and relevant code. AI often spots the issue faster than I would.

Not because it's smarter, but because it's not tired or biased by what I think should work.

5. Writing Tests

I hate writing tests. AI makes it bearable.

Me: "Write tests for this function"

function calculateDiscount(price: number, isReturning: boolean) {
  return isReturning ? price * 0.9 : price
}

AI gives me test cases I wouldn't have thought of:

I still review and adjust, but it's a great starting point.

What AI Sucks At

1. Understanding Context

AI doesn't know:

I asked it to optimize a function. It made it 10x faster but also 10x more complex. For my use case (runs once per page load), simpler was better.

AI optimizes for the wrong thing if you don't guide it.

2. System Design

Try asking AI to design your entire app architecture. You'll get generic advice that doesn't account for:

It'll suggest Kubernetes when you need a $12 DigitalOcean droplet.

3. Product Decisions

AI can't tell you:

These require talking to actual users and making judgment calls.

4. Debugging Complex Issues

Simple bugs? AI is great.

Complex bugs involving:

AI guesses. You need to actually understand your code.

5. Knowing What to Build

The hardest part of development isn't writing code—it's knowing what to build.

AI can help you build faster. It can't tell you what's worth building.

How I Actually Use AI

Morning Workflow

  1. Planning - I decide what to build (AI can't do this)
  2. Research - Ask AI about libraries/approaches
  3. Scaffold - AI generates boilerplate
  4. Build - I write the actual logic (with AI help for tricky parts)
  5. Debug - AI helps spot issues
  6. Test - AI helps write tests

AI is my junior developer who's really fast at typing but needs direction.

Real Example

Task: Add SMS notifications to appointment booking

Without AI: ~4 hours

  1. Research SMS providers (30 min)
  2. Read Twilio docs (30 min)
  3. Write integration code (1 hour)
  4. Handle errors (1 hour)
  5. Write tests (1 hour)
  6. Debug weird issues (30 min)

With AI: ~2 hours

  1. "Which SMS provider works in Nepal?" (5 min)
  2. "Show me Twilio integration in Next.js" (5 min)
  3. Modify their code for my use case (30 min)
  4. "Write error handling for this" (10 min)
  5. "Write tests for SMS sending" (10 min)
  6. Debug (still takes time) (1 hour)

Time saved: 50%

But I still needed to:

The Real Shift

AI isn't replacing developers. It's changing what we spend time on.

Before AI:

With AI:

This is good. More time for:

Less time for:

For New Developers

Concern: "Should I learn to code if AI can do it?"

Answer: Absolutely yes.

AI is a tool, like Stack Overflow or Google. It makes you faster, but you need to know:

Analogy: Calculators didn't make math useless. They made mathematicians more productive.

For Companies

If you're hiring, don't ask:

Ask:

The best developers are those who use every tool available—including AI.

My Prediction

In 5 years:

What won't change:

Hot Take

AI might actually make developers more valuable, not less.

Why?

Because now the bottleneck isn't coding speed—it's knowing what to build and why.

Companies that thought they just needed "coders" will realize they need people who can:

These skills are harder to replace than code generation.

Bottom Line

Use AI. It's a productivity multiplier.

Don't rely on AI. You still need to understand what you're building.

Embrace it. Developers who use AI will outperform those who don't.

But remember: AI is a tool. Your judgment, creativity, and understanding of users—that's still on you.

The future isn't "AI or developers." It's "AI-empowered developers building better software, faster."

And honestly? That's pretty exciting.