AI Is Forcing Developers to Talk

Published: February 5, 2026

I have been a professional developer for a fairly short period of time, but I have been coding since I was 11 on Scratch (the GOAT), at 14 with C# and Python, and since 16 with JS/TS.

Even with this limited experience, I have noticed something: software development is much easier than before. Even though I do not like AI slop or vibe coding, I believe that if you are a skilled engineer, you still do less repetitive work. You may not type as much, write as much boilerplate, or google as much as before AI.

With all this extra time, developers are forced to spend it somewhere else. Some like to relax a little, others prefer to study software engineering more deeply, and too many are trying to just “build more”.

But coding alone does not seem to be enough. Vibe coders can produce thousands of lines of code per day, and even then, they often do not produce anything useful or viable. Most are just basic copies of existing products, random tools that almost nobody needs, or poorly crafted solutions to real problems.

I believe software developers need to spend more time learning what to build instead of only how to build it. For that, there is no better skill than communication.

Human-to-human communication is a powerful skill. It allows you to work better in teams, have fewer conflicts with your boss or manager, and even improve your home situation.

But communication goes far beyond internal product development. It can help you understand what people in your community need, what problems they face, and what they truly want.

Communication can help you get real feedback on your product, so you know what to improve next and better understand your users problems and needs.

On the business side, communication can help you close more deals and get investment or sponsorships.

As a software developer, your role can be very broad, like a solo developer who handles full-stack development, administration, sales, and customer support. Or you may be a backend developer specialized in Java 17. Either way, if AI is giving us more free time, I think we should all improve our soft skills, especially communication.

Or maybe I’m wrong and AI is going to force us to specialize even more. Or maybe it will be a 50/50 split. We’ll see.