Cisco’s president, Jeetu Patel, has called for his team’s engineers to reduce the amount of code they write, instead relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to handle the “boring” tasks. This shift aims to free up engineers’ cognitive load, allowing them to focus on more complex and innovative work.
Patel emphasized that coding syntax is not a priority, stating, “They should master orchestration and innovation, not syntax.” He believes that with AI assistance, developers can type less and create more. This move is seen as an effort to enhance productivity and unlock new possibilities for the company’s 27,000-strong engineering corps.
Patel has expressed his willingness to invest in AI solutions, such as OpenAI’s Codex, which could enable Cisco to overcome resource constraints and accelerate product development. He believes that with AI-driven infrastructure, organizations beyond Cisco will benefit from improved productivity and innovation.
However, the president did not rule out job cuts in his engineering corps, citing a previous round of layoffs last year as part of a restructuring plan to improve AI capabilities.
Source: https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/10/cisco_wants_ai_coding_assistants