AWS CEO says replacing junior devs with AI is 'one of the dumbest ideas'

Summary

‍AWS CEO Matt Garman outlined 3 solid reasons why companies should not focus on cutting junior developer roles, noting that they “are actually the most experienced with the AI tools”.3 Reasons AI Should Not Replace Junior DevelopersIn a tech world obsessed with AI replacing human workers, Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon Web Services (AWS), is pushing back against one of the industry’s most popular cost-cutting ideas.Speaking on WIRED’s The Big Interview podcast, Garman has a bold message for companies racing to cut costs with AI.‍‍He was asked to explain why he once called replacing junior employees with AI “one of the dumbest ideas” he’d ever heard, and to expand on how he believes agentic AI will actually change the workplace in the coming years.1) Junior Devs Often Know AI Tools BetterFirst, junior employees are often better with AI tools than senior staff. “Number one, my experience is that many of the most junior folks are actually the most experienced with the AI tools. So they're actually most able to get the most out of them.”‍Fresh grads have grown up with new technology, so they can adapt quickly. Many of them learn AI-powered tools while studying or during internships. They tend to explore new features, find quick methods to write code, and figure out how to get the best results from AI agents. According to the 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, 55.5% of early-career developers reported using AI tools daily in their development process, higher than for the experienced folks.This comfort with new tools allows them to work more efficiently. In contrast, senior developers have established workflows and may take more time to adopt. Recent research shows that over half of Gen Z employees are actually helping senior colleagues upskill in AI.2) Junior Developers Shouldn’t Be The Default Cost-Saving MoveSecond, junior staff are usually the least expensive employees.“Number two, they're usually the least expensive because they're right out of college, and they gener...