Will AI Replace Software Engineers? Google VP Reveals If Software Engineers Still Matter

In this episode, hosts Aashna Doshi & Rayan Dabbagh sit down with Jeanine Banks — Vice President and GM of DeveloperX and Developer Relations at Google. Jeanine leads the teams behind Firebase, Flutter, Dart, and Google’s open-source strategy, shaping how developers around the world build products for billions of users.We explore how Jeanine went from studying computer science and launching healthcare-focused startups to driving developer tools at AWS and Google. She shares how Google decides what to open source, why software development still needs a human touch, and what it’s really like launching new AI-powered tools like Gemini Code Assist and Firebase Studio.Jeanine also opens up about leading global teams, giving keynotes at Google I/O, and the mindset shifts required to go from building startups to managing large-scale developer platforms.Whether you're an engineer, startup founder, or just curious about the future of AI agents, open source, and developer experience at Google — this episode is packed with practical lessons, stories, and advice.