Dr Werner Vogels, CTO and VP of Amazon.
Despite the amplified narrative that generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) will make software developers obsolete, the era of the professional developer is not over.
This is one of the key technology predictions by Dr Werner Vogels, CTO and VP of Amazon.com, for 2026 and beyond.
Now an annual event, Vogel’s technology predictions aim to offer insights into how emerging technologies will reshape industries and daily life.
In his latest forecast, the Amazon CTO addresses both the technical evolution and human impact of tomorrow’s innovations and the new era of AI, among others.
According to Vogel, GenAI won’t make developers obsolete but will transform them into modern polymaths who combine AI’s code generation capabilities with uniquely human creativity, curiosity and systems thinking.
Tools change, but the fundamentals endure, he states. “Creativity, curiosity and systems thinking have continued to define the craft.
“Time and time again we have seen that lowering the barrier for entry doesn’t eliminate the need for human expertise; it amplifies it. Generative AI lets us generate code in seconds, but if you put garbage in, you get convincing garbage out.”
He explains that AI doesn’t sit in budget meetings where leadership debates whether to optimise for cost or performance, adding that it can’t read between the lines and interpret unspoken priorities that shape every technical decision.
“The fundamentals that have always made great developers remain unchanged. But like the great thinkers of the Renaissance who refused to be confined to a single discipline, developers can no longer live in silos.
“You must think bigger; the moment demands it. This is the dawn of a new age for developers. You have never been more valuable. Your creativity has never been needed more.”
Amid the widening wave of AI adoption in recent years, the debate around its impact on jobs has reached fever pitch, with many worried about mass layoffs because of AI’s progress.
However, organisations like the World Economic Forum (WEF) predict there will be 11 million jobs associated only with AI over the next five years. At a broader scale, WEF estimates that nearly 80 million jobs will be formed over the same period.
According to Vogel, the coming year will require post-quantum thinking; from cryptography protecting sensitive communications to the education necessary to train quantum engineers.
“There was a time not too long ago, when people weren’t sure that quantum computers could even exist. As of late, we’ve witnessed a series of major improvements to both quantum hardware and architectures.
“Error correction has long been the primary challenge to building a scalable quantum computer, and development is accelerating. And while quantum computing brings with it the promise of breakthroughs in everything from medical research to investing, one area that we need to take seriously right now is security.”
Quantum is much closer than collectively imagined, Vogels continues.
“Those that embrace holistic quantum readiness – implementing post-quantum cryptography, developing quantum talent, and planning physical infrastructure transitions – will protect their data and unlock new capabilities in secure computation, privacy-preserving AI and trusted data sharing.
“Cloud-native organisations will transition smoothly through provider-managed updates. Infrastructure-heavy companies that begin planning physical transitions now will survive. Those that delay now will face vulnerabilities with no viable remediation path when quantum computers mature. It won’t be long before quantum-safe is the only safe.”
Vogels highlights that AI-powered tutoring is changing education by freeing teachers from administrative tasks to focus on creative and individualised instruction.
He points out that for most students around the world, personalised attention remains a luxury.
“AI has the power to fundamentally change the way that we approach education. Children are natural learners. The only limit to their curiosity is access to people and tools that can answer their questions.
“So, instead of forcing every student through the same system and learning sequence, AI will adapt to how each child thinks. Answering ‘why?’ as many times as a student asks, exploring tangents that spark interest, adjusting explanations until something clicks.
“It’s not just STEM; AI enables students to explore the arts, languages, music and humanities. Most importantly, it does what great teachers have always done – it engages each student’s natural love of learning rather than suppressing it.”
AI won’t replace teachers, but is changing what teachers do, he clarifies. “In 2026 and beyond, personalised AI tutoring will be as ubiquitous as smartphones. Every student will have access to instructions adapted to their learning style, pace, language and needs.”
