Software engineers shift to reviewing AI code as layoffs mount and enrollment drops

Software engineers are adapting to a profession reshaped by AI, focusing on code review and organizing amid rising layoffs and falling enrollment.

• Matt, a software engineer, said his job now focuses on reviewing AI-written code after his boss instructed him to use AI more.
• Over 600,000 US tech workers have lost jobs since ChatGPT’s 2022 release, and computer science graduate unemployment reached 7% in 2024.
• Kaitlin Cort founded What We Will in February to help tech workers unionize and negotiate severance amid rapid AI adoption.
• Enrollment in computer science programs at US universities fell 8.1% for undergraduates and 14% for graduates in the 2025–2026 school year.