"Embrace AI or get out..." GitHub CEO's blunt warning to developers

Github ceo

GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke has a strong message for software developers. In a long X post, he said that if you’re not using AI yet, you’re already behind.

“The evidence is clear: Either you embrace AI, or get out of this career,” he wrote.

His comments come after a new study by GitHub looked at how 22 developers are using AI in their daily work. The results were eye-opening. Developers who went beyond early doubts and fully adopted AI saw big changes, not just in how they work, but in how they think about their jobs. They became more ambitious, more skilled, and more satisfied.

“They’re not writing less code – they’re enabling more complex, system-level work,” Dohmke said.

He pointed out that AI is not replacing developers, it’s changing what their jobs look like. Many are now focused on directing AI tools, designing systems, and checking outputs rather than just typing lines of code. One developer even joked, “My next title might be Creative Director of Code.”

Dohmke believes that AI will be writing 90% of code within the next 2–5 years. But instead of being afraid, most developers are feeling hopeful. They’re picking up new skills like working with AI agents, giving better prompts, and spotting mistakes in AI-generated code.

This shift isn’t just happening in tech offices—it’s going to affect classrooms too. Dohmke says schools need to stop focusing only on teaching coding syntax. Instead, students should learn how to work with AI, question its responses, and think more broadly.

“This is no longer a question of productivity. It’s a question of reinvention,” he said.