AI is changing the way we build software.

We commissioned this survey with CTO Craft to understand how senior technology leaders see engineering roles and skills evolving by 2028.

We chose 2028 deliberately: it’s far enough beyond operational planning to require leadership thinking, but close enough to demand action now.

Here’s a summary of the report. Download your copy today to understand how you can apply the findings to your own organisation and be prepared for systemic change.

Everyone’s using AI

92% of survey respondents reported to be already using AI and seeing benefits.

Most do not expect AI to shrink their teams; they expect it to increase output. Productivity is increasing, which in turn drives demand for more products and software.

The bottleneck is shifting

For years, engineering speed has been the main constraint when it comes to software development.

AI has almost removed this constraint, so that now the bottlenecks are around idea discovery, review, governance, and alignment.

From augmentation to orchestration

Less experienced leaders see AI as augmenting existing roles and skills.

Those with more extensive AI experience have higher expectations of AI’s impact and envisage teams becoming AI orchestrators.

This means moving from single tools to multi-agent platforms, where deep expertise will be less important than a breadth of understanding.

The “human moat”

AI excels at execution: the “how”.

Humans remain responsible for the “why”.

As AI capability increases, leadership capability becomes even more important. The “human moat” surrounding AI and governance comprises skills such as strategy, context, empathy and ethics, as well as commercial judgement.

Inside the Full Report

Download the complete survey findings to explore:

• How productivity gains are expanding demand rather than reducing teams
• Where bottlenecks are shifting across the software development lifecycle
• Why governance and organisational consistency are increasingly critical
• The new roles leaders expect to emerge by 2028