Post #1360990

So I don't have time to read the full paper and I probably don't have the background to make an informed critique of the methodology once I do (not that that's gonna stop me). But I feel like the challenge here is in mapping the distinction between junior and senior coding roles. To what extent do the senior coders get treated like a distinct job as opposed to being junior-but-seasoned? Based on a quick amateur read of the abstract it looks like they're assuming the first option, that junior and senior developers are separate roles that can be largely disentangled. But if the other option is true, then in the event of a general industry downturn (say, after over hiring during recent periods of unsustainable growth) then it might make sense to look at the cuts to junior roles as simply removing the less efficient and effective people from the development role, rather than specifically cutting the juniors because they're uniquely exposed to AI replacement. I don't know which model is more accurate to how the industry treats these roles or whether it varies by organization or what, but that's what seems like the most likely alternate explanation for the observed shift towards a very senior-heavy workforce.