Most US developers say AI is making software careers less attractive

A new Adaptavist survey found 65% of US software developers are anxious about their long-term careers as AI reshapes coding work. The findings suggest AI is not just speeding up development, but also changing how engineers learn, advance and define their jobs.

Why it matters: - AI is changing both the day-to-day work of software developers and the skills needed to advance in the field. - The shift is raising concern about whether junior engineers will build the core skills needed for long-term careers. - The pressure is strongest in the US, where developers report more disruption to learning and workflow than peers in Europe.

What happened: - Adaptavist surveyed 1,000 developers globally, including 200 in the US, in March 2026 through Attest. - The findings were published in the New Developer Realities whitepaper on November 10, 2026. - 65% of US software developers said they are anxious about their long-term careers as AI changes the work. - 54% said software development is becoming a less attractive career because of AI. - 41% said AI is already hurting their career progression.

The details: - 78% of US developers worry junior developers are becoming overly reliant on automation. - 71% said AI has reduced the amount they learn through hands-on coding. - 59% said AI is making core software engineering skills less important. - 57% said AI has reduced learning opportunities, rising to 45% among experienced developers. - 69% said they are managing AI rather than simply using it. - 77% viewed AI as a teammate. - 60% said AI is actively replacing parts of their role. - 79% said managing AI agents is becoming an explicit part of their daily work. - 89% said they regularly deploy multiple AI agents for a task, while 10% use a single agent. - 82% said managing AI agents will become a core software engineering skill. - 76% said they trust AI agents to complete tasks autonomously. - 70% said they trust AI agents to make important technical decisions. - 44% said they now review AI-generated work more closely. - 33% said AI-generated work requires tighter human oversight. - 23% said they are less willing to give AI agents autonomy. - 28% said they are more cautious about adopting new agents.

Between the lines: - The results point to a role shift from writing code to reviewing, verifying and supervising AI output. - The whitepaper describes a growing “verification tax,” where developers spend more time checking machine-generated work. - Higher US scores across the survey suggest AI is affecting US developer workflows more than markets including the UK, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. - Matt Saunders, DevOps Lead at The Adaptavist Group, said organizations cannot afford to lose sight of how engineers develop their skill sets as AI becomes more embedded. - Saunders said junior developers still need hands-on experience to understand code, solve problems and make sound technical decisions. - Saunders said organizations need to help developers grow alongside AI so they can use the technology effectively throughout their careers.

What's next: - Developers are likely to spend more time managing AI agents as the tools become more embedded in engineering workflows. - Companies may need to create more structured training and oversight to protect junior development pipelines. - The survey suggests engineering teams will need to balance AI adoption with continued investment in foundational coding skills.

The bottom line: - AI is no longer just a productivity tool for developers. It is reshaping career paths, skill-building and what counts as core engineering work.