As AI becomes more advanced, tech enthusiasts are sounding the alarm, warning that the technology will soon replace software developers and the industry will never be the same.
Mykhailo Kopyl, founder and CEO of Seedium, a web and mobile development company, debunks that narrative. In this interview, he breaks down how AI is actually changing the game for both businesses and engineers, explaining why this shift brings more benefits than drawbacks.
1. Let’s start with a big-picture view: Have you noticed any shifts in the demand for software engineers as AI tools become more advanced?
As someone working in the outsourcing business, I can’t say that the demand for software development services has declined. Rather, the requirements for developers changed. We’re seeing a growing number of requests for engineers with AI expertise. Many of our clients have strong tech backgrounds and understand that smart use of AI can significantly accelerate the development process. As a result, they’re looking for engineers who can strike the right balance between AI automation and human experience.
Also, I’ve noticed a significant shift in client sentiment toward AI in a short period of time. Just six months ago, when we mentioned to new clients that we were using AI tools to boost productivity, we often sensed strong hesitation. Now, clients often request that the engineers working on their project use AI tools.
2. How is AI changing the role of software developers?
AI creates more room for creativity and strategic thinking. Traditionally, developers have spent most of their time writing code and handling repetitive tasks like debugging and testing. By automating even part of that workload, we gain more space to focus on the value and quality of the product we deliver.
Another thing is that engineers are now increasingly expected to have hands-on experience with AI. Whether you’re a backend or frontend developer, you need to know how to integrate and manage AI tools and models.
3. Can you share how Seedium meets these expectations?
At Seedium, we’ve always been at the forefront of innovation, combining proven approaches with emerging technologies since efficiency is one of our shared values. Today, we actively apply AI in projects where it brings real value and adapt our service range to the clients’ needs.
For example, you can hire a senior developer with AI expertise from Seedium to help improve code quality and speed up product development. At the same time, whether you’re hiring a frontend or backend developer, you can expect them to have the skills needed to implement AI features, without bringing in a separate AI specialist.
4. Has AI improved your team’s productivity or output quality?
Recently, we conducted an in-house survey to find out how Seedium engineers use AI tools in their work. One hundred percent of respondents reported increased productivity and faster prototyping with AI. This results in faster delivery times for our clients. In general, AI helps our development teams speed up tasks like testing, debugging, exploring the existing codebase, and writing documentation.
However, it is important to note that our engineers decide which tasks AI is suitable for. We remain focused on the quality of our delivery and rely primarily on experience and expertise.
5. Are there specific tasks you believe should always remain in human hands, despite advances in AI?
Absolutely. AI lacks real experience in building and launching software products. It can generate suggestions based on available data, but it can’t think outside that box. Only human engineers can come up with creative solutions grounded in an understanding of why something is being developed, what business goals it supports, and how to make a product future-proof. For project stability, engineers should still handle tasks such as system design, scalability, infrastructure, code quality, and security.
Plus, domain-specific software requires even more human experience, as it must meet specific regulatory and security standards. For example, using AI in industries such as healthcare, fintech, and government involves risks related to data privacy, compliance, and ethical responsibility. Automated systems may not fully grasp the nuances of local laws, patient consent, financial reporting standards, or public accountability. That makes expert oversight essential.
6. Is it possible for businesses to create software products using AI alone, without developer involvement?
It depends on the stage of your product development. AI is a great tool to start with. Fast prototyping and creating a simple MVP to validate your concept with early users can definitely be done with AI assistance. However, later on, you will face challenges with scaling, developing more complex features, and integrations. AI can help here, too, but effectively configuring and applying AI tools still requires significant technical expertise. So, human experience remains essential for effective tech product growth.
7. Where do you see the biggest opportunities for AI in software development over the next 5 years?
I believe that in the near future, AI tools will become much better at understanding project context. This will transform coding agents into true developer assistants that can offer architecture suggestions and proactively address bugs and technical debt. Again, they won’t replace human developers but will provide strong support for more optimized and automated workflows.
Another promising area for AI is low-code and no-code solutions. These enable even more rapid and efficient MVP development without coding skills. This approach allows companies to validate ideas with minimal investment. Once user interest is confirmed, development teams can be brought in. I can tell you that developers also prefer projects that have clear goals and well-defined plans. That’s why I am optimistic about the future and believe AI will help business owners and software engineers come together for more demand-driven products.