[thw_9a83c]

In the future, there will be two kinds of companies:

  1. Those that encourage people to use AI agents aggressively to increase productivity.
  2. Those that encourage people to use AI agents aggressively to be more productive while still hiring young people.

Which type of company will be more innovative, productive, and successful in the long run?

[neutronicus]

The ones in group 2 that also aggressively prune expensive, complacent seniors might even win in the short run!

Young people are cheap and they love AI!

[JustExAWS]

How much cheaper are younger developers overall? If you look at the delta between junior and mid level developers in most industries - ie enterprise dev not BigTech or adjacent - it’s really not that much

[neutronicus]

It's a down market and you might be better able to retain them if the market turns up again (or maybe not, I'm old and mostly just want a remote gig where I have time to parent my child).

[scarface_74]

In an up market it’s going to be worse. HR is still going to hold the line on raises and not keep up with the market.

I’m old too - 51. But I consistently tell young people to chase money. Target BigTech or adjacent companies, “grind leetCode”, avoid startups and Monopoly money “equity”, etc.

One person I mentored when they were an intern in 2021 and when they came back the next year, is 25 years old making $220K (Solution Architect not a developer) and I couldn’t be happier for them. They make the same as I make now. But I’ve already raised two (step)kids, bought and sold the big house in the burbs, etc and love working remotely.

I told them to do whatever it takes to be seen, promote themselves, build a network internally and with clients and make all the money they can.

[koakuma-chan]

I don't understand how you want innovation and productivity in a world with rapidly increasing population. We need less and less people while producing more and more people. Where am I wrong?

[zdragnar]

Recently there was a splash in the news about the US death rate projected to exceed the birth rate by 2031.

Many of the largest countries are experiencing similar declines, with fewer and fewer countries maintaining large birth rates.

[thw_9a83c]

I don't see developed countries to have a "rapidly increasing population" problem.

[carlosjobim]

Practically the whole planet is experiencing population decline now. The poster you're replying to is basing his argument on an obsolete worldview.

[koakuma-chan]

Yeah, it felt like we went from 7B to 8B really quickly, but I guess it's over now.

[jf22]

This isn't accurate. Birth rates are declining but population is still increasing in most countries.

[carlosjobim]

Birth rates are of course the only thing which matters. If your car runs out of gas, it will still roll for a small stretch, but it is irrelevant.

[jf22]

I don't know what you're saying.

>Practically the whole planet is experiencing population decline now.

That's objectively false.

[triceratops]

> in a world with rapidly increasing population

That world was 30 years ago. In 2025 world average total fertility rate is 2.2, which is a shade above replacement rate (2.1). And 2.2 is a 10% drop since 2017 alone (when it was 2.46).

Because life expectancy is higher, the population will continue to increase. But not "rapidly".

[gampleman]

According to some cutting edge research[1], we are already bellow replacement rate worldwide.

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7_e_A_vFnk

[gampleman]

Depends what kind of people you need. For innovation you generally need exceptional people, and the probability of finding such a person is proportional to the total number of people available.

[MDGeist]

Kinda feels like a lot of companies think they can be option 1 because someone else will be option 2, and then they'll hire the young people away after they become experienced.

[thw_9a83c]

...I was afraid someone would point out this potentially slimy scenario.

[jonathanrmumm]

3. Young people who realize this dynamic and start their own companies because old people are less energetic toward picking up new tools / learning new tricks and run circles around them.

[dayvid]

Any job that doesn't creatively generate revenue will be systematized and automated as soon as possible. AI agents are just an acceleration factor for this

[HellDunkel]

I can‘t believe we are really calling things „ai agents“ these days…

[candiddevmike]

Source?