Programming in the Age of AI: What Future Developers Need to Know Today

Artificial intelligence can now write a functional part of a program within a few seconds. It is therefore no surprise that many secondary school graduates and their parents are asking whether it still makes sense to study programming when AI can generate code. The answer is clearly yes. What needs to change, however, is the way we think about what it means to be a good software developer today.

Companies are no longer looking only for people who know programming languages. They expect professionals who can understand requirements, design application architecture, work with data, ensure security, test software, and critically evaluate the outputs provided by AI. Artificial intelligence can significantly speed up work, but it cannot decide on its own whether a proposed solution is correct, secure, or suitable for a specific customer.

Programmers today spend less time writing routine code and more time thinking about how the entire system works, how its individual components communicate with one another, and how to use AI as an effective assistant. The ability to combine technological knowledge with analytical thinking will become increasingly valuable in the labour market.

“Artificial intelligence can already write a large part of the code, but it cannot take responsibility for designing the entire solution. The future of developers will therefore not depend on who can write more lines of code, but on who can correctly design the architecture, critically evaluate AI outputs, and use AI effectively to solve real-world problems,” says Ing. Marek Beránek, Ph.D., Head of the IT Department at Unicorn University.

Unicorn University is also responding to this development. The university focuses on information technology, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and business. Students do not work only with theory, but also participate in team projects and workshops and solve tasks inspired by real-world practice under the guidance of lecturers with professional experience.

Applicants for bachelor’s studies can choose from two programs that directly respond to changes in the technology world. The Software Development program prepares students to develop modern applications and systems and teaches them to think about software in a broader context. The Artificial Intelligence program focuses on the principles of AI, working with data, machine learning, and the safe and responsible use of these technologies.

The future of software development will not depend on who writes the most lines of code. Successful people will be those who, in addition to coding itself, understand how technologies work, design appropriate solutions, use AI as a tool, and critically assess its outputs. It is precisely this combination of skills that will determine who succeeds in a rapidly changing technological environment, and companies will demand these skills more and more frequently.

At Unicorn University, students can also continue from bachelor’s studies to the master’s program in Software Engineering, which further develops their knowledge in software development.

Applications for Unicorn University’s autumn admissions round are open until the end of October.