A top Anthropic engineer warns AI agents will transform every computer-based job in America — and it will be 'painful'

A prominent engineer from Anthropic has issued a stark warning about the impending transformation of nearly all internet-based jobs in the United States due to a new wave of AI agents. Boris Cherny, the mind behind Claude Code at Anthropic, recently shared insights on "Lenny's Podcast" hosted by Lenny Rachitsky, indicating that these advanced AI systems are rapidly evolving and will soon redefine the roles of software engineers, product managers, designers, and other knowledge workers. Cherny emphasized that the capabilities of AI tools, such as those offered by Anthropic, are advancing at an unprecedented pace. He foresees a future where these agents will impact virtually every computer-based task. "It's going to expand to pretty much any kind of work that you can do on a computer," he remarked, predicting significant disruptions that could be painful for many workers. Claude Code, Anthropic’s AI coding agent built on its Claude models, represents a new frontier in AI functionality. Released with updates in early February, this technology goes beyond traditional chatbots by enabling users to execute commands, analyze documents, communicate with colleagues, and complete tasks across various applications—essentially mimicking human-like interactions with computers. Cherny noted that while the technology is not yet at the level of a skilled human, it has already started to enhance productivity among his team. Since the launch of Claude Code, he reported a sharp increase in productivity per engineer. He anticipates continued improvements in AI models, which may soon render certain job titles, such as software engineer, obsolete by 2026. However, Cherny cautions that the broader implications of this shift remain uncertain. He stressed the importance of societal dialogue on the subject, stating, "As a society, this is a conversation we have to figure out together. Anyone can just build software anytime." For those facing this significant change, his advice is straightforward: embrace AI tools and familiarize yourself with their functions. "Don't be scared of them," he urged.