Will AI increase developer salaries?

I use LLMs daily, ChatGPT helps me refine my ideas, Copilot writes 60-80% of my code, and Pi is my sounding board. As Scott Galloway puts it, AI won't take your job; someone who knows how to use AI will. I'm on day zero of building my next company, which means I'm writing a ton of code as I explore building an open-source framework. As I dive deeper into the rabbit hole of the project I'm working on, I've been asking myself this question: would I pay more for a developer whose productivity and skills are enhanced by AI?

Today, developers are cybernetically enhanced by Github Copilot, which helps them write code quickly and gives them a way of kicking around ideas for solving their toughest issues.

Programming with Copilot is like having an army of interns at your command; it is not like having a 10x developer working alongside you. Copilot can't understand the bigger picture behind your application; it requires explicit instructions and makes silly mistakes. And, like great interns, it's adept at quickly pulling together the latest libraries to build cool apps. It even knows how to write basic tests without complaining about writing tests.

When developers get stuck on a problem, they employ a technique known as "rubber ducking." A process where the developer talks through the problem with an inanimate object on their desk. This is why you'll see toys littered across the desks of techies. Github copilot has chat functionality built into the development workflow. It cybernetically enhances the developer's rubber duck making it easier to think through tough issues and bounce ideas around.

Now back to the question, would I pay more? The answer is yes; I'd pay more for someone who can harness the power of AI to write more high-quality code. Harnessing this power to deliver high-quality software will require the skills engineers develop with real-world experience, the type of experience that's hard to bake into your favorite LLM.

My prediction is that AI will put upwards pressure on senior engineer wages and downward pressure on junior engineer wages. If you're an engineer in the workforce today, my main advice would be to work at companies where you can harness these new capabilities to cybernetically enhance yourself.

Just do it, they say...