The CEO doesn't want an AI writing better code than you. They want an AI writing code for cheaper than you.
That's the part most developers get wrong when they think about the AI threat to their careers.
The Fear Is Backwards
We keep debating whether AI can match a senior engineer's output. If it can have a real understanding of architecture. If it can think through edge cases.
None of that matters to the person approving headcount. The question in the boardroom isn't "Is this AI as good as Sarah?" It's "Is this AI good enough to skip hiring Sarah's replacement?"
