Anthropic cofounder Jack Clark said the company’s AI model Claude now generates most of its code and could reach 99% by the end of the year. He noted that this shift is making the role of junior engineers “a bit more dubious,” while increasing demand for senior engineers with strong judgment and refined instincts.
Speaking on The Ezra Klein Show, Clark said experienced talent with “well-calibrated intuitions and taste” is becoming more valuable as AI handles more implementation work. Rather than cutting engineering roles, Anthropic now employs more software engineers than it did two years ago, with over 100 open positions listed.
However, the focus of hiring is changing. As Claude takes over basic coding tasks, human engineers are moving “up the stack,” concentrating on higher-level decision-making and complex problem-solving. Clark described the transition as “O-ring automation,” where automation shifts human effort toward the remaining bottlenecks.
Separately, Anthropic president Daniela Amodei emphasized that AI will augment, not replace, most jobs. She argued that uniquely human qualities — communication, emotional intelligence, curiosity, and critical thinking — will become even more important in the AI era.
According to Amodei, studying the humanities and developing strong interpersonal skills may prove increasingly valuable as AI grows more capable in technical fields.