When tech has to adapt to its own change
Three forces are currently shaking our economies at the same time: the post-pandemic aftermath, war (including trade conflicts), and generative AI. “Business as usual” as we once knew it is a thing of the past.
The tech industry has long embraced change. I’ve been in the industry long enough to remember when we replaced Excel, the digital Swiss Army knife, with real tools, for example, and wondered why anyone objected. We assumed people would be fine (even more efficient) and if not, they would find something else to spend their time on.
But now the winds of change are blowing back at us in digital development. Those of us who work in the industry and preach the importance of constantly changing frameworks, libraries, and domains are starting to be affected! The perfect time to prove that we can adapt with a smile… or not? Not really....
Open any feed and you’ll see the same discussions and anxious expressions abound:
“AI still hasn’t replaced me!”
“You can’t build Netflix in an hour.”
“So far, we have ZERO bloated and profitable solutions coming from ‘vibe coding’.”
These types of comments are actually an expression of something deeper and something as simple as uncertainty. Our neat vision of a safe, linear life has been shattered before the curtain. Short planning horizons, tight budgets and AI hype chasing quick money create a perfect breeding ground for anxiety. It's no wonder that AI is becoming a bit of a scapegoat. So let's take a practical look at how AI affects those of us who work with digital development.
What is real about GenAI (and what is not)
The technology is already useful: Faster prototyping, better code reviews, helpful PR/commit text, agents that find bugs and suggest improvements, and support in research work are just a few use cases I think many people recognize.
AI is not a replacement for developers – yet (and no one knows how long it will be like that): AI still eats large code bases, spits out noise, and gets stuck in “I solved it!” loops.
Attempts to replace developers do occur: For example, Elon Musk’s project Macrohard. Research is already moving beyond transformer models towards new architectures like Mamba, MoE, neuromorphic systems, memory-augmented networks, and more. Development will not stop just because online comments are bitter.
No jobs are immune to change: It has always been that way, we just feel that it is becoming more personal now. We see examples of how other industries are being affected to a large extent. Denmark’s state-owned postal service PostNord will stop delivering letters entirely by the end of 2025, and letter usage is declining globally in the US, UK, Japan and Canada. In Poland (and many other countries), birth rates are at record lows, which now means that the number of schools is decreasing and therefore the need for teachers.
How to Manage Change
Keep your tech stack up to date, but be selective. Choose tools that have proven their value and belong in your field.
Take a break from the hype. You don’t need a thousand newsletters. If a real breakthrough happens, you’ll notice it anyway.
Run small pilots. Be curious, test what catches on, and highlight what actually saves time or improves quality.
Make AI a team sport. Share what works, suggest changes, and ask for space to experiment with colleagues.
Pick your battles. You won’t reverse or change developments you don’t like alone.
Remember that bubbles burst, but capabilities endure. Even if the market cools, the useful parts of GenAI will live on.
Don’t panic. Good decisions are rarely impulsive, and we still have time to think before we need to feel like we have to swap keyboards for other tools.
If we are one day replaced in our current roles, we will find new paths. It will take effort and it won’t be painless, but we’ve been telling others to adapt for years and now it’s our turn to do it, with the same calmness we’ve advocated for ourselves.
So for now, my best advice is to focus on the work, keep your eyes and mind open, build your skills, and use your tools wisely. Or as Jeff Goldblum reminded us in Jurassic Park: Life always finds a way. 😉
Want to know more?
Tobiasz Kowalczyk
Managing Partner Poland
