Will GenAI Replace Developers?

I remember a university teacher telling us: "In the 1980s businesses invested heavily in personal computers. They hoped PCs would replace secretaries. They were wrong. But PCs made those same secretaries much more productive."

I keep thinking about this story. GenAI won't replace developers. It will make them more productive. But not automatically. Those secretaries didn't become productive because someone put a PC on their desk. They had to learn how to use it. Without that effort, the machine was useless. We called it "computer literacy" — and in 1990 it was considered essential. Now it's our turn. We (the developers) need to learn how to use GenAI effectively. Otherwise it's just a fancy search, translator, and spell checker.