Vibe coding, a term used to describe the growing trend of artificial-intelligence-assisted programming, is not poised to displace human engineers at one of the world’s prominent technology giants. According to Atlassian’s cofounder and chief executive officer, Mike Cannon-Brookes, the reality is quite the opposite: the rapid evolution of technology will create a larger need for skilled software developers who can continue to design, maintain, and expand the digital infrastructure of the future. Speaking during a recent Monday episode of the popular “20VC” podcast, Cannon-Brookes elaborated that as innovation accelerates, organizations will inevitably require not fewer but more engineers to harness these advances and transform novel ideas into working solutions.
Reflecting on Atlassian’s prospects, Cannon-Brookes predicted confidently that within five years, the company will employ a significantly greater number of engineers than it does at present. Enhancements in productivity, he acknowledged, will undoubtedly come from the use of new tools and more sophisticated methods of software development. Nevertheless, he emphasized that building technology is not a process constrained by production limits; rather, its growth is driven by the continuous flow of new ideas emerging from human creativity. As people conceive fresh ways to solve problems or enhance digital experiences, engineers will remain indispensable to transform those concepts—both the inspired and the impractical—into tangible products. He maintained an optimistic outlook, suggesting that this ongoing cycle of innovation would ultimately yield not only a larger volume of technology but also solutions of higher quality and greater sophistication.
Cannon-Brookes, who cofounded the Australian-American software company in 2002, has overseen Atlassian’s transformation into a global leader in collaborative and project management software. The firm is best recognized for Jira, a widely used tool for issue tracking and project coordination among software teams. According to the company’s regulatory disclosures, Atlassian employed 13,813 full-time workers as of June—a number that represents an approximately fourteen percent increase from the previous year. This growth, the CEO noted, reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to technological advancement, research, and development.
The optimism of Atlassian’s leadership extends beyond current employees to the next generation of computer science talent. Cannon-Brookes shared that the company is actively increasing its recruitment of recent university graduates this year compared with both last year and 2023. The decision underscores Atlassian’s need to bolster its research and development divisions as well as its core engineering teams to sustain innovation at scale. He expressed enthusiasm for the impact that young developers might have, predicting that their distinct perspectives on what it means to be a software engineer will invigorate and potentially reshape the company’s existing talent ecosystem, bringing fresh ideas and energy into the organization.
Addressing the broader perception that low-code or AI-driven “vibe coding” tools might reduce demand for professional engineers, Cannon-Brookes firmly rejected the notion. He pointed out that even as individuals from non-technical fields such as finance or marketing experiment with these technologies to build applications or websites, this does not diminish the relevance or workload of professional technologists. Instead, he sees such tools as complementary aids within a thriving technological ecosystem. Atlassian, when approached for further comment by Business Insider, did not immediately provide a response.
This perspective places Cannon-Brookes among a growing group of technology leaders who insist that AI-assisted coding represents an evolution rather than a threat to the engineering profession. For instance, in April, Varun Mohan, then the CEO and cofounder of the startup Windsurf—an enterprise centered on vibe coding—remarked in a separate podcast interview that the rise of AI-enabled coding should not lead companies to scale back their hiring of software engineers. He clarified that the professional life of an engineer involves far more than mere code writing; it encompasses reviewing, testing, debugging, designing, and deploying software—all facets that still rely heavily on human judgment, collaboration, and oversight.
Similarly, during a podcast appearance in June, Bob McGrew, former chief research officer at OpenAI, echoed the sentiment that professional engineers remain crucial. He cautioned that while AI tools can accelerate coding tasks, they cannot yet substitute the deep comprehension required to manage complex codebases. McGrew posed a rhetorical question that underscores this principle: when someone inherits a piece of code they do not fully understand, is that an asset or a liability? The timeless truth, he noted, is that a codebase without proper human understanding is indeed a liability—a reminder that software development continues to rely, above all, on the insight, creativity, and problem-solving abilities of human engineers.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/atlassian-ceo-hiring-software-engineers-vibe-coding-recent-grads-ai-2025-10
