The rapid pace of AI in software development has led many to question whether the role of the developer is being hollowed out. While GenAI may pose a threat to the long-term growth of the profession, its adoption is currently unavoidable.
So, how can a developer stay relevant and improve curiosity in the era of AI? In an exclusive interview with AIM, Brijesh Patel, founder and CTO of SNDK Corp, highlighted the challenges by suggesting that one can choose to use AI to outsmart it.
“We have been trying various things on [AI], testing on a few of our developers and seeing how it’s helping them,” Patel said. “So slowly and steadily we have come to a point where…the majority of our developers now develop using AI tools.”
Prompt Engineering is Important for Developers
Instead of relying on AI to generate end-to-end solutions, Patel’s team is trained to know when and how to ask for help. Prompt engineering has become a central part of their approach.
“We train our guys to do proper prompt engineering. If you don’t ask the right questions, AI is not going to give you the right answer,” he explained.
The company has created a structured onboarding process that focuses not only on how to use AI tools, but also on how to think like a programmer first. “We go through the training process of the structuration of the code, and how to write it. [This way, the] code culture is maintained,” Patel noted.
With prompt engineering becoming a default skill, he believes it must be grounded in clarity, structure, and intent, rather than relying solely on trial and error.
The team has invested in online prompt engineering courses, with internal programmes on the way. According to Patel, coding is no longer just about writing syntax; it’s about understanding problems deeply enough to ask for the right solutions.
“You have to understand what you are doing,” he said. “AI can only enhance your skill set…but at the end of the day, it’s your intelligence of what this whole thing needs to do…And only you have to make sure that is happening.”
He explained that to sustain the value proposition of developers, it’s crucial to leverage AI to stay ahead of it.
This involves using AI to write more efficient and faster code. This approach will elevate developers to the next level, saving them from the constant grind and the ongoing trend of layoffs.
The Logic Filter for Developer Hiring
When asked how they filter out developers who try to fake their experience using AI-made projects and similar, Patel mentioned that a resume alone won’t do. Candidates undergo a logic-first test before proceeding to any other assessment.
“If the logic is not clear, I don’t want to hire somebody who has 10 years of experience, but cannot answer a simple logical question,” Patel said. He mentioned that logical thinking prevails, even if a developer utilises AI to conceal weaknesses.
Patel admits that while people still manage to slip through occasionally, poor performance is quickly evident. “We fire them,” he said bluntly.
Even projects shown in a portfolio are treated with scepticism, considering AI can generate those as well. Instead, the company uses time-based logic assessments and behavioural screening to filter out fakes.
He believes that as developers become more skilled at cheating, the test platforms also evolve to catch them.
Not Just Junior vs Senior
Despite the capabilities AI now offers to all developers, Patel doesn’t believe it erases experience.
Senior developers still bring depth, especially the ability to anticipate what might potentially go wrong.
“If I write this code in such a manner, eventually this is going to happen based on my past experience, right? So there are lots of small nuances that come into play when a person with three to four years of experience, compared to seven years, is writing code.”
AI might compress learning curves, but it doesn’t replace learning. “I would rather hire somebody with experience and good prompt engineering,” Patel said.
It’s not a battle between developers and AI; it’s a test of how well one understands both. As Patel sees it, only those who know what they’re doing will truly thrive.
