GitHub CEO to engineers: 'Smartest' companies will hire more software engineers, not less as…

GitHub

CEO

Thomas Dohmke

says the companies that best leverage artificial intelligence won't use it to replace human developers, but instead will dramatically increase their engineering hiring to capitalize on AI-enhanced productivity gains."The companies that are the smartest are going to hire more developers," Dohmke said in a recent podcast interview. "Because if you 10x a single developer, then 10 developers can do 100x."The GitHub chief executive argues that AI serves as a powerful multiplier for engineering talent rather than a replacement, making individual developers significantly more efficient while creating demand for additional skilled professionals. He believes current industry layoffs and hiring freezes represent a temporary market adjustment as companies figure out AI's true potential.AI democratizes coding but doesn't eliminate need for professional developers

Dohmke emphasized that while AI has made programming more accessible to beginners and streamlined workflows for experienced developers, it hasn't eliminated the need for deep technical expertise in business environments. He dismissed the notion that AI alone can build billion-dollar companies without substantial coding knowledge."I think the idea that AI without any coding skills lets you just build a billion-dollar business is mistaken," he said. "Because if that would be the case, everyone would do it."Rather than draining development backlogs, Dohmke observed that AI has actually generated more work by enabling teams to tackle previously impossible projects. He hasn't seen any companies completely eliminate

developer workloads

, even as AI accelerates project completion.The GitHub CEO called this the "most exciting time" to be a developer, noting that AI has brought closer the long-held dream of transforming Sunday morning ideas into functioning mobile apps by evening.