AI Doesn't Replace Developers: Why Firing Programmers is a Strategic Mistake

After more than a decade working with Drupal and watching how our industry evolves, I need to share my opinion on something that's profoundly transforming our sector: the use of AI in software development.

My Real Experience as a Senior Developer with AI

As a senior developer who uses AI tools daily, I can affirm they've radically changed how I work. In specific Drupal tasks like generating custom hooks, writing complex migrations, documenting APIs, or creating unit tests for custom modules, my productivity has multiplied by 2 or 3.

But here's the key: this productivity is only possible because I have years of experience to know what to ask the AI, how to validate its responses, and when it's better to write the code myself. AI can generate code that looks perfect but contains subtle flaws that only experience can detect.

AI Lies: Why You Need Expert Supervision

A crucial point many ignore: AI "hallucinates", a technical term for when it invents information with total confidence. I've seen it generate Drupal functions that don't exist, use obsolete hooks, or create solutions that seem elegant but violate security best practices.

And here comes the most important part: the responsibility remains ours. If you deploy AI-generated code to production and it breaks the client's site, you can't say "it was ChatGPT's fault." It's like blaming Photoshop for bad design. The tool isn't responsible, the person who didn't know how to use it correctly is.

AI doesn't replace knowledge or experience. It's a powerful tool that needs constant supervision from someone who deeply understands the technology they're working with.

Game Theory: The Three Paths in the Tech Sector

To better understand what's happening, let's imagine a simplified scenario. We have three identical development agencies: same 10 employees, same 10 projects, same prices, same costs. It's January 2025 and AI has just burst onto the scene.

In economics, game theory studies how each player's decisions affect all others. It's like chess: each move you make changes the board for your opponent. Our three identical agencies will make different decisions, and this is where game theory becomes interesting.

1. The Ostrich Agency: "AI is a Fad"

The first agency decides AI is a passing fad. They keep their 10 employees, their 10 projects, their usual processes. They don't train anyone in AI. In game theory, this is staying still while all other players improve their position. Predictable result: in 2 years they'll have lost half their clients because they can't compete on speed or price.

2. The Short-Sighted Agency: "Fire to Earn More"

The second agency sees immediate numbers. They fire 5 developers because "AI replaces them." Now they have 5 employees handling the same 10 projects. They temporarily double their margins. But here's the game theory trap: when other agencies start offering better prices, they'll have to lower theirs. Result: same percentage margin as before but with half the productive capacity. In absolute value, less money.

3. The Strategic Agency: "Multiply Capabilities"

The third agency keeps their 10 developers and empowers them with AI. Now they can handle 20 or 30 projects with the same staff. They can lower prices by 20% and still earn more in absolute value. When they do this, they'll force the short-sighted agency to lower prices too, destroying their temporary advantage.

Why Firing Developers is a Strategic Mistake

The problem with firing developers goes beyond immediate numbers:

Today's juniors are tomorrow's seniors. If you don't train talent now, you won't have software architects in 5 years.

AI generates code faster than you can review. You need more expert eyes verifying, not fewer.

Technical debt accumulates exponentially. Without enough supervision, subtle bugs and bad practices multiply until they explode.

The best talent flees. Good developers look for companies that invest in people and technology, not those that fire to save money.

Senior Experience: Your Real Competitive Advantage

Junior developers adopt AI quickly, but it's seniors who extract its true value. We have the criteria to:

• Detect when AI is inventing functions that don't exist
• Identify subtle security vulnerabilities
• Recognize inefficient code that will work until it doesn't
• Maintain Drupal-specific best practices

Without seniors supervising and taking final responsibility, AI's speed becomes a highway to technical disaster. Because at the end of the day, when something fails in production, the client doesn't accept "the AI did it" as an excuse.

My Forecast: The Future of Software Development

In the next 2 or 3 years we'll see brutal natural selection:

• Ostrich agencies will gradually lose clients until they disappear or are absorbed
• Short-sighted ones will discover their temporary margins evaporate when they can't compete
• Strategic ones will dominate the market with better quality, competitive prices, and the best talent

The sector will change in hiring:

• Extreme valuation of experience combined with AI mastery
• Emphasis on validation and responsibility rather than writing code

Conclusion: The True Value of Developers in the AI Era

As a senior Drupal developer, I use AI every day and couldn't work without it anymore. But my value isn't in writing code, AI can do that. My value is in:

• Knowing WHAT code to write and WHY
• Detecting AI's convincing lies
• Taking final responsibility for what goes to production
• Ensuring everything works correctly, not just that it seems to work

Companies that understand this and use AI to empower responsible teams, not reduce them, will be the winners. The rest will learn the hard way that AI without expert supervision is a recipe for disaster.

AI is not the end of developers. It's the beginning of an era where responsible and experienced developers will be more valuable than ever. And in this game, betting on people who understand both the technology and their responsibilities will always be the winning move.