New Moms Are Re-entering Coding Careers Transformed by AI

As Danielle adapted to the nuances of new motherhood, her career experienced a significant transformation.

Danielle, who prefers to use her first name to protect her job prospects, worked as a software developer at an automotive company in Portland, Oregon. Before she left the workforce in mid-2024, hardly anyone utilized AI for coding; by the time she was ready to return a year later, it had become a standard expectation. She had initially been drawn to coding for its job security, but AI now posed a threat. “The skills I acquired—routine development skills—are now expected to be delegated to AI,” Danielle explains.

The largest AI companies envision a future where nearly all coding is “vibe-coded.” In April, Mark Zuckerberg forecasted that AI would generate the majority of Meta’s code within the next 18 months. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently shared with WIRED that he anticipates AI coding to evolve into “one of these rare multitrillion-dollar markets.”

The rapid pace of change has impacted software engineers across the board, but the consequences are notably pronounced for new mothers who happened to be away from their jobs when this transition occurred.

“The type of work I was performing before is what I want to do again. I believe I was proficient at it,” Danielle remarks. “However, I understand that job will never return.”

Executives leading major AI labs have cautioned that this technology could eliminate numerous white-collar positions, spanning law, finance, consulting, and sales. Yet few sectors have been disrupted as significantly as software development.

With the introduction of coding automation tools by Anthropic and OpenAI in May 2025, the field shifted from creation to supervision. Adapting to this new workflow isn’t particularly complex, but new mothers risk falling behind peers who have had a head start.

A project manager in the UK currently on maternity leave told WIRED that her supervisor recommended she familiarize herself with AI during her time off. “I felt very exposed,” she said, requesting anonymity to protect herself from potential repercussions from her employer, a development agency. Before her leave, colleagues used AI occasionally, mainly for minor tasks like completing snippets of human-written code. However, the agency is now keen for AI to assume a bigger role, she noted.

“The chances of me spending my statutory maternity pay on an AI course are slim to none,” she stated. “This is not how I should spend my maternity leave.” Nevertheless, she fears that falling behind could make her susceptible to layoffs.

Mary McCreary, a data engineer at a US-based health tech firm, reported that her employer facilitated her adjustment to new AI tools upon her return. Initially doubtful about AI, McCreary grew to appreciate its capability to elucidate her colleagues’ code. “What I dislike most about being an engineer is reviewing others’ code,” she admitted.

However, the technology has altered the nature of the work. “The downside is that I no longer have time for mundane tasks that wouldn’t require much mental effort,” McCreary explained. “I’m constantly tackling difficult problems because I’ve delegated all the tedious work.”

Another software engineer from Minnesota, working at a marketing software firm, shared with WIRED that AI coding tools helped her maintain pace with colleagues despite feelings of fatigue and other postpartum effects. “I was definitely not prepared to return,” said the engineer, who requested anonymity to discuss her company’s AI practices candidly. “Your body is flooded with hormones, and your brain changes to the point where your sole focus is on that child.” The ability to delegate tasks that require intense concentration—like debugging code—to AI “was incredibly beneficial,” she stated.