AI is changing software development.
- 29 August 2025
What should you, as a dev manager, do with that nowadays?
AI is Transforming Software Development. What Should You Do as a Dev Manager Today?
We don’t need to tell you AI is everywhere. The real question is not if it will impact your team. It is how much, how fast, and what that means for your engineers’ daily work.
Most developers we speak to already use ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot on a regular basis. Yet clients keep asking us:
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What can we realistically expect?
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Which tools are top developers using right now?
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What is hype and what signals a structural shift?
That is why we have gathered the most relevant sources for you. Straight facts. No noise. So you, as a dev manager, know where to focus.
What Big Tech Is Saying
Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, recently claimed: “A year from now, 50% of our code will be AI-generated.”
GitHub’s CEO went even further: “We are heading toward 90%.”
These are bold statements, but not unfounded.
Inside Microsoft, Copilot already generates 30% of the code in some teams. Meanwhile, at companies like Lovable, non-technical staff are using AI to build production-grade software. In just four months, over 30,000 people created apps through Lovable without writing a single line of code.
The trend is clear. AI tools are taking over more routine tasks. Engineers are shifting from executors to orchestrators.
What Engineers Are Using Right Now
According to Stack Overflow, 62% of developers worldwide now actively use AI tools when coding.
Last year, that number was just 44%.
The most popular tools are:
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GitHub Copilot
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Cursor (AI-native code editor)
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ChatGPT (for architecture, testing, debugging)
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AWS CodeWhisperer
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Google Duet AI
On top of that, low-code platforms are emerging that generate entire apps from natural language prompts. Your team does not necessarily need to adopt these, but they do show where the market is moving. More importantly, they shape the expectations of your next hire.
What This Means for the Modern Developer Profile
A new generation of developers is entering the workforce. They do not work despite AI, but with AI. And that changes their role fundamentally.
The best engineers do not just write less code. They make smarter decisions. They use AI to accelerate, enrich, and expand their creativity.
We see this in nearly every candidate we speak with:
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They automate boilerplate work with AI
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They use Copilot prompts for edge cases and debugging
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They review AI output critically
Their role is evolving into something closer to an architect or editor. They set the direction, break problems into components, and let AI generate first drafts. Then they review, test, and refine.
This requires a different kind of thinking.
Less syntax, more systems thinking.
Less code grinding, more focus on quality.
And in the Netherlands?
According to the latest CBS figures, 22.7% of Dutch companies are already using AI. In ICT, that number is 58%. Larger companies lead the way, but adoption is accelerating in SMEs too.
Yet 75% of companies that do not use AI admit: “We lack the knowledge.”
That is a major risk. Engineers who do master AI are more productive, faster to onboard, and harder to hire.
We see it first-hand. Teams that invest in AI skills now will move ahead. Teams that wait until it feels more concrete will fall behind.
What You Can Do Today as a Hiring Manager
Start asking the right questions
Ask candidates which AI tools they use and how. Ask how they review AI output. Ask what problems they solve with it. You will immediately see who truly understands how to apply AI in a professional environment.
Recognize the new profile
Focus less on classic experience and more on learning ability, design thinking, and critical reasoning. Developers who can prompt and evaluate effectively will deliver more than those who insist on doing everything manually.
See AI as a multiplier
The developers we place today are not building less. They are building faster, better, and with more autonomy. Not because they blindly follow AI, but because they use it strategically.
In Summary
The role of developers is changing.
AI tools are becoming standard.
The work is shifting:
From typing to orchestrating.
From construction worker to conductor.
The question is not if your team should adapt, but how fast.
By starting the conversation with your team and candidates today, you make sure you are not left behind tomorrow while others hire the talent that already thrives in this new way of working.
