[Opinion] Jevons Paradox and vibe coding
The explosion of new activities built with Vibe coding (without looking at the code) will cause an increase in demand for software engineers using AI to review the code, just to keep up with what is being created. This is Jevons Paradox in action.
Consider server virtualisation. Before 2005, a typical enterprise ran 1,500 to 2,500 physical servers. By 2020, the same enterprise was running 50,000 to 150,000 virtual servers. The efficiency gain did not reduce infrastructure needs; it exploded them.
The same pattern is emerging with software. Today, an average enterprise maintains 150 to 200 million lines of code. With vibe coding and AI-generated software, that figure could grow to 50 to 100 billion lines by 2040.
Right now, is one of worst times to be getting rid of software engineers. Your focus should be on training in the use of AI and moving development to an actual engineering topic (rather than a craft).
Originally published on LinkedIn.