Google CEO Sundar Pichai Says AI Won’t Replace Human Coders—Yet

In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, fears of mass job displacement remain widespread. But Google CEO Sundar Pichai has offered a grounded and optimistic view, emphasizing that AI is more of a collaborator than a competitor—especially when it comes to software engineering.

AI as a Coding Companion, Not a Replacement

Speaking on a recent episode of the Lex Fridman Podcast, Pichai revealed that AI tools have already made a noticeable impact on Google’s productivity. Around 30% of the company’s code now involves AI-generated contributions. But perhaps more importantly, Google has seen a 10% increase in engineering velocity—a metric the company closely monitors to assess how AI accelerates development without compromising quality.
“We carefully measure how much our engineering velocity has increased as a company due to AI. Our estimates are that number is now at 10%,” Pichai shared.

Despite this rise in automation, Pichai ...