korrents

What Kent Beck thinks about AI and jobs

@kent-beck · 38 positions · 0 changes of mind

Creator of extreme programming and test-driven development, an original signatory of the Agile Manifesto, and the author of Test-Driven Development: By Example and Tidy First?

Kent Beck did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

2 dated positions, 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Kent Beck has said — not written or endorsed by them.

2 positions so far — this page is not yet offered to search engines.

  1. Our readingSaying that coding will be automated away first betrays a misunderstanding of software engineering, because coding is only a small part of the work.

    Their wordsMy response is that that's a statement by someone who doesn't understand software engineering. Coding is part of what you're doing, but it's only a small part of what you're doing.

    ↗How Kent Beck shapes the software engineering industryyoutube.com 1st of 28 in this recording

    Interesting
  2. 3 months earlier

  3. Our readingThis is the golden age of the junior programmer, because AI is an amplifier and the people learning quickly get amplified most.

    Their wordsYeah, AI is an amplifier. And if uh if you're young and learning quickly, AI is going to amplify that or can amplify that. So, I I personally think this is this is the golden age of the junior programmer.

    ↗Martin Fowler & Kent Beck: Frameworks for reinventing software, again and againyoutube.com 10th of 20 in this recording

    Interesting