Software engineering pioneer Kent Beck says technical skill alone won’t secure coding careers as artificial intelligence reshapes the industry.
Speaking on “The Pragmatic Engineer” podcast, which aired Wednesday, Beck said engineers often lack soft skills like empathy and emotional regulation. “We’re kind of a*******, sometimes,” he said, adding that engineers are “oftentimes more direct than other people can easily handle.”
Still, he said those traits are learnable. Beck, who has autism, said he plays poker partly to get feedback on his own lack of natural empathy, and keeps a mental “checklist” of measured responses to avoid alienating others and ending a conversation before it’s actually finished.
A ‘Cosmic Practical Joke’ for Coders
During the podcast appearance, the engineering legend also said engineers are typically told early on that technical mastery alone guarantees success. AI is upending that. He called the growing demand for people skills a “cosmic practical joke,” saying career growth is now “gated by your ability to communicate and empathize.”
