Is Sam Altman Killing Coding with the New ChatGPT Updates?

• Michael Willson
• June 20, 2025

No, Sam Altman isn’t killing coding. But he is changing how it works. With recent ChatGPT updates like Codex, GPT-4.1, and agentic AI workflows, developers are shifting from writing every line themselves to guiding AI tools that can plan, write, and test code. The goal isn’t to remove coders—it’s to make them faster, smarter, and more efficient.

In this article, you’ll learn what’s changing, what’s not, and why coding isn’t dying—it’s evolving.

What’s Actually Changing in Software Development

The new tools introduced by OpenAI let developers delegate more of the coding process to AI. Instead of starting from scratch, engineers now give instructions, review the results, and steer the AI when needed.

AI Writing More of the Code

ChatGPT’s Codex agent can now generate code, test it, fix errors, and even commit changes—all within a sandbox. It doesn’t need constant prompting. That’s a major shift from earlier AI tools that only completed one line at a time.

Focus Moves to Design and Oversight

Instead of writing boilerplate, developers now focus on:

• Setting up architectures
• Reviewing and testing AI-written code
• Building system-level thinking

They spend less time coding and more time solving problems.

What Sam Altman Actually Said

Sam Altman hasn’t claimed that AI will replace developers. His view is that AI will handle repetitive code so humans can focus on deeper logic, planning, and creativity. He describes this shift as a move toward agentic coding—where developers work with smart assistants that understand tasks, run tests, and make corrections.

Altman believes this will make developers 10x more productive, not unemployed.

ChatGPT and Its Role in Coding Workflows

Task	Before AI	With ChatGPT Updates
Task Setup	Manual requirements and planning	AI-assisted planning + task breakdown
Code Writing	Human types every line	AI generates most of the structure
Testing & Debug	Manual testing and log tracing	AI suggests fixes and rewrites
Deployment	Dev pushes manually	AI can prepare and commit code

What About the “170 Engineers” Claim?

There is no official claim or evidence that ChatGPT equals the output of 170 top software engineers. That number has been circulated in discussions but isn’t backed by OpenAI or any benchmark.

What is true:

• New models like GPT-4.1 and o1 perform well in coding tests.
• Codex is capable of generating, testing, and updating code within secure environments.
• AI can now outperform average coders on certain benchmarks—but that’s not the same as replacing top talent.

Even OpenAI’s models scoring in the top 10–15% on platforms like Codeforces are being evaluated on structured challenges, not real-world architecture or debugging.

What Developers Still Do Best

AI is powerful, but it’s not perfect. Developers are still needed to:

• Design software systems
• Handle edge cases and custom logic
• Write secure, maintainable code
• Review, test, and validate results

In short, coding isn’t dying. The type of coding that matters is changing.

AI vs Human Developer Capabilities

Task Type	AI Capability Level	Human Role
Boilerplate code	High	Guide generation, review for correctness
Complex architecture	Low to Medium	Design systems, plan architecture
Security best practices	Low	Validate and enforce secure patterns
Refactoring legacy code	Medium	Decide structural improvements
Documentation writing	Medium	Provide context, verify clarity

Should Developers Be Worried?

Only if they ignore the shift. The best developers are already using AI tools to boost productivity, reduce grunt work, and focus on solving bigger problems. Those who resist change may fall behind.

A Data Science Certification can help developers understand the underlying models and systems driving these tools. For anyone building AI-powered apps or platforms, the AI Certification is a great way to get ahead.

And if you’re looking to integrate AI workflows into product or team ops, the Marketing and Business Certification can help you learn the systems and structure needed to make that happen.

Final Thoughts

Sam Altman isn’t killing coding. But ChatGPT updates are changing how coding gets done. The role of developers is moving from writing every line to guiding smart tools that can do more, faster.

AI will take care of the boring parts. Humans will design, oversee, and innovate. That’s not the end of coding—it’s the start of something more creative and efficient.