AI hit software engineers first. Here’s what they want you to know.

Software engineers have a message for white-collar workers: Get ready.

Since late last year, advances in tools like Claude Code and Codex have transformed how engineers do their jobs. While some are loving the new era of AI embedded in their workflows, others have experienced a sense of identity loss as they adapt to the new reality.

On X last week, Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s cofounder and president, wrote that AI has has dramatically sped up software engineering, and it’s “on track to bring this same transformation to every other kind of work that people do with a computer.”

“More and more, people can turn intent into software, spreadsheets, presentations, workflows, science, and companies,” Brockman said.

Business Insider spoke to engineers at the forefront of this transformation about what other white-collar workers can learn from their experience.

Say goodbye to highly specialized roles

AI disruption could be good news for generalists.

Andrew Hsu, cofounder and CTO of AI language-learning startup Speak, told Business Insider that most software startups have traditionally been divided into three functions: engineering, product, and design. While those roles were once clearly defined, the CTO said AI is now blurring the lines between them.

Product managers and designers are now using tools like Claude Code to write code and open pull requests, while engineers are taking on more responsibility across product and design, Hsu said.

Hsu sees that as a microcosm of what will happen to other industries — and he said the type of person that will succeed is someone who can “specialize less.”

“Specialization, in many ways, becomes less important with these omniscient models, where you can learn everything very quickly,” Hsu said, adding that workers have an opportunity to move “up the ladder of abstraction” and take on more agency in what they do.

Lean into the human part of your job

OpenAI released a report on Thursday that mapped out AI’s near-term impact on jobs using a framework across over 900 occupations that cover 99.7% of US employment.

It found that 18% of jobs are at a relatively higher short-term automation risk. It also identified three common traits among jobs with more automation risk: high AI exposure, low need for human involvement, and limited or uncertain demand growth to offset potential job losses.

Software engineer Maahir Sharma predicted a similar pattern based on what he’s observed. He said that he could see AI tools like OpenClaw replacing executive assistants by handling scheduling and coordinating with stakeholders.

Feneel Doshi, a software engineer at a startup, said many jobs that involve repetitive computer work, like help desk support, may also be replaced. He recommended those workers lean into AI where they can.

Disruption doesn’t always mean fewer jobs

Disruption can be stressful, but it doesn’t necessarily mean jobs will disappear.

Though engineering has undergone a rapid shift, with changing skill requirements and less entry-level hiring, demand hasn’t dried up so far. Data from tech hiring analytics firm TrueUp shows software engineering job postings are at their highest level in more than three years, with over 67,000 open roles.

Amit Bendov, CEO of Gong, an AI operating system for revenue teams, told Business Insider that the impact of AI depends largely on the level of demand in a given field.

In industries like travel, where demand has remained relatively flat, AI is more likely to replace jobs, he said. He pointed to the steady decline of travel agents over the past few decades.

While AI has taken over many coding tasks in recent months, the technology has also expanded what’s possible — ultimately creating more work, not less, he said.

“There’s practically infinite demand,” Bendov said, adding that AI has opened more “opportunity for people who aren’t professional engineers.”

Bendov views sales as similar to engineering. If AI can eliminate guesswork and make workers more effective, more companies may be able to afford sales teams — and more people can succeed in those roles.

In that case, “you could have more jobs created,” Bendov said.