Samedia–In a candid fireside chat at Meta’s first LlamaCon conference on April 29, Microsoft’s CEO revealed that a significant portion of the company’s codebase is now being generated by artificial intelligence. According to Nadella, 20% to 30% of the code in Microsoft’s repositories is “written by software,” a trend that is expected to accelerate in the coming years.
Satya Nadella’s revelation came during a discussion with Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, who posed the question of how much of Microsoft’s code is currently AI-generated. Nadella acknowledged that the company is witnessing varied outcomes with AI-generated code across different programming languages, noting more substantial progress in Python and more modest gains in C++.
This disclosure follows a prediction made by Microsoft’s CTO, Kevin Scott, who anticipates that 95% of all code will be AI-generated by 2030. The tech industry is increasingly looking to AI to streamline software development, a shift that could redefine the role of human developers in the future.
When Zuckerberg was asked about Meta’s use of AI in coding, he admitted to not having a precise figure at hand. However, he emphasized that Meta is actively developing an AI model capable of creating future iterations of the company’s Llama family of AI models. “Our bet is that in the next year, probably half of the development will be done by AI, as opposed to people, and then that will just kind of increase from there,” Zuckerberg stated.
The comments from both CEOs highlight a growing trend among major tech companies to integrate AI into their software development processes. Microsoft and Meta, which collectively employ tens of thousands of software developers, are at the forefront of this shift, alongside other industry giants like Google.
During Google’s earnings call last week, CEO Sundar Pichai reported that AI was responsible for generating more than 30% of the company’s code. This figure underscores the rapid adoption of AI in coding, although the exact metrics used by these companies to determine what constitutes AI-generated code remain unclear. As such, these numbers should be interpreted with a degree of skepticism.
The rise of AI in coding is part of a broader trend that has seen AI being utilized for a variety of tasks since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022. From customer service to sales and software development, AI is increasingly becoming a staple in the tech industry’s toolkit.
Other companies are also embracing this change. Shopify’s CEO, Tobi Lutke, recently informed employees that they must demonstrate that a job cannot be done by AI before requesting additional headcount. Similarly, Duolingo’s CEO, Luis von Ahn, announced in a memo on Monday that the language-teaching company will progressively transition to AI, reducing its reliance on human contractors.
As AI continues to evolve, its impact on the workforce, particularly in tech-related fields, is becoming more pronounced. While the benefits of increased efficiency and productivity are evident, the implications for human employment and the nature of work itself are still unfolding. The conversation between Nadella and Zuckerberg at LlamaCon underscores the need for ongoing dialogue and strategic planning as the tech industry navigates this transformative era.
