AI is the New DAW: Why Software Developers Will Thrive in an AI-Driven World
Back in 2007, I made an observation about the music industry:
“The number of new album titles doubled in the last six years to almost 76,000 new titles in 2006.”
The DAW revolution—led by tools like ProTools—gave artists access to production capabilities that were once locked inside high-end studios. Suddenly, anyone with a laptop and some talent (or not) could make music. The result? An explosion of new music, but also a wave of overproduced, soulless tracks.
I argued then that artists had become addicted to their DAW engineers—the Digital Audio Workstation Gods (DAWGs)—leading to a flood of music that lacked real-life, sweat-drenched, fan-refined artistry.
“Music no longer sounds organic; it has a genetically modified, mass-produced sound.”
But here’s the twist: music consumption didn’t decline. It boomed. Despite the flood of new tracks, great artists still emerged, fans still found music they loved, and live performances remained the true test of longevity.
Since 2007, the global recorded music industry has grown significantly. Revenue increased from $18.8 billion to $28.6 billion in 2023—a 52% rise, largely driven by streaming. In the U.S., revenue more than doubled from $7.7 billion in 2009 to $17.1 billion in 2023. Streaming now dominates, generating $19.3 billion globally last year. While precise numbers on artists and song releases are scarce, digital platforms have dramatically increased both, democratizing music creation. This surge in accessibility and streaming-driven consumption has fueled the industry’s continued expansion.
Fast forward to today, and we’re watching the same transformation unfold in software development.
Enter the AI Developer Gods (AIDoGs)
AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot are the new DAWs. Just as ProTools turned anyone into a “producer,” these AI tools make anyone a “developer.” AI now writes boilerplate code, autocompletes functions, refactors entire codebases, and even generates applications. The barriers to entry? Practically gone.
The results?
AI-driven coding is exploding—97% of developers now use AI coding tools in their work (GitHub).
Developers using AI are up to 96% faster on repetitive tasks and 55% faster overall (Hatchworks).
AI-assisted coding is becoming the norm, with 2 million developers paying for GitHub Copilot alone (Financial Times).
Will AI Replace Developers? Nope—Just Like DAWs Didn’t Kill Musicians
If my 2007 thesis taught us anything, it’s this: just because technology makes something easier to produce doesn’t mean human creators become obsolete.
“The DAWG has enabled the artist to quickly make his music and then focus his energies elsewhere... from performing in public to friending on MySpace.”
Sound familiar? Now, AI lets developers write code faster, and some are shifting their focus from deeply understanding their craft to just plugging in prompts.
But just like music, software is more than just lines of code. Great software—like great music—requires vision, iteration, and a deep connection to the people who use it. If AI is writing code, real developers will be the ones shaping the vision, directing the AI, and bringing the human creativity that machines can’t replicate.
The Future: More Code, More Demand, More Innovation
Instead of killing the developer job market, AI is fueling it:
The demand for AI-savvy software engineers has doubled in three years (Brainhub).
AI-first companies need more engineers, not fewer, to manage, refine, and integrate AI into workflows.
The most valuable developers aren’t just writing code—they’re directing AI to write better, more efficient software.
Conclusion: The DAW-to-AI Parallel is Clear
Just as DAWs revolutionized music production without killing artistry, AI is transforming software development—but developers will still thrive. The ones who adapt will go from merely writing code to architecting and directing AI.
If I had my way, I’d still love to be a DAWG in my next life. But an AIDoG? Now that sounds like an upgrade. 😎