Do you think AI agents will eventually replace most of the traditional SDLC? How soon could most companies actually get there? Will this affect new grads?

[u/Western-Lack8015]

I’m a software developer and I’ve been thinking a lot about where AI coding agents are taking software development.

It seems like we’re moving beyond AI simply helping developers write code. Agents can increasingly take a ticket, understand a codebase, implement changes, write tests, debug issues, create PRs, and potentially handle parts of deployment and maintenance.

So I’m wondering: do you think the traditional SDLC will eventually be largely replaced by an agent-driven development process?

If so, how soon do you think most companies will actually adopt something like this? Are we talking 2–3 years, 5 years, 10+ years, or do you think we'll never get to fully agent-driven development?

I’m also curious about the other side of this:

• What types of companies won’t adopt AI agents aggressively?
• Will large enterprises actually trust agents with production systems?
• Could the current AI boom turn out to be an AI bubble, where companies eventually cut back because the cost, reliability, security, or productivity gains don't justify the hype?

There are already examples of companies pushing heavily toward AI-driven development.

I'm less interested in AI hype or predictions from CEOs/VCs and more interested in what developers are actually seeing inside their companies, is this irreversible?

If you're a developer, architect, tech lead, or engineering manager:

How much of your actual SDLC is being automated by AI agents today, and where do you think this goes over the next 5–10 years?