What took 10 Google engineers six months now happens overnight, says Eric Schmidt
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt argues that AI is fundamentally changing software engineering, shifting the focus from writing code to defining specifications and evaluation criteria. He suggests that elite programmers will become more valuable by orchestrating AI systems rather than performing manual coding tasks.
Why it matters
This shift signals a major transformation in the labor market for technical roles, emphasizing high-level problem solving over traditional programming skills.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt says the most valuable programmers in the world have quietly redefined their job. They don't write code anymore. They write specifications, set evaluation criteria, hit run—and go to bed. It's a shift that Schmidt believes signals something much larger than a change in workflow—it's the beginning of AI reshaping how entire industries operate.Schmidt described a programmer at one of his startups who does exactly this. Every evening at 7 PM, he defines what he wants the AI to build, writes a test function to judge the output, and lets the system loose. Then he has dinner with his wife and goes to sleep. The AI churns through the night, finishing around 4 AM. By breakfast, the work is done. "This stuff would've taken me six months and 10 programmers at Google," Schmidt said.
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