As someone who’s worked in technology and cybersecurity for years, I’ve witnessed the rapid evolution of new technologies—and with them, the rise of concepts like NoSupp (No IT Support), NoOps (No IT Operations), and NoDev (No Developers). While these terms often create buzz, I believe that these advances in technology do not eliminate the need for skilled professionals. Rather, they open new avenues for human expertise to guide and lead the growing world of technology.
The first concept I encountered was NoSupp, which emerged when the power of tools like Google Search led some to believe that IT support would no longer be necessary. The idea was that users could simply search for answers to their problems, eliminating the need for dedicated support staff. However, this view failed to acknowledge the deeper, strategic thinking and specialized knowledge that support professionals provide. While search engines certainly improved accessibility to information, they couldn’t replicate the expertise needed to handle complex, unforeseen challenges. As technology grew more intricate, the need for skilled support staff persisted, showing that NoSupp was more of a projection than a reality.
Next came the rise of NoOps. With the advent of cloud computing and automation tools like AWS, some believed that IT operations could be fully automated, rendering traditional roles in system administration and operations obsolete. This idea of NoOps painted a picture of a fully automated IT landscape where humans were no longer needed to manage infrastructure. However, if anything, the growth of cloud providers and tech organizations has led to an increase in the number of data centers, and these companies have seen an exponential rise in employees.
In the USA, the number of data centers has surged in the last 20 years. For example, in 2004, there were just over 2,000 data centers in the U.S. Today, that number exceeds 3,000, with projections showing that number could grow to 5,000 by 2030. The global shift to cloud computing and the growing reliance on massive data centers for services like AI, e-commerce, and content delivery has only increased the demand for human expertise. In fact, large cloud providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) have seen their number of employees increase dramatically—from around 100,000 in 2010 to more than 1.5 million globally by 2023. This growth isn’t just about infrastructure; it’s about the human talent required to build, optimize, and manage these systems.
In other words, while automation and cloud technologies have changed how we approach IT operations, they haven’t reduced the need for people; they’ve expanded it. The emergence of DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) emphasizes the importance of skilled professionals to oversee, optimize, and ensure the smooth functioning of these vast, complex systems. Technology may handle many routine tasks, but humans are still essential for managing the intricacies of operations, ensuring security, and adapting to unforeseen challenges in real-time.
NoDev may sound futuristic, but in practice, it’s more about augmenting human capability than replacing it.
Finally, we now hear the buzz about NoDev—the idea that AI could replace developers, as machine learning models are increasingly capable of writing code. While AI tools like code generators and auto-completion are certainly helpful, they cannot replace the creative problem-solving, domain expertise, and strategic thinking that developers bring to the table. These tools are great at automating repetitive tasks and speeding up development, but they still rely on human expertise to guide them, interpret results, and build innovative solutions. NoDev may sound futuristic, but in practice, it’s more about augmenting human capability than replacing it.
One important shift we’re seeing today is that fewer developers may be needed to build a single app or system, thanks to powerful AI tools and low-code/no-code platforms. However, the number of apps, systems, and digital services has grown exponentially. For example, in 2012, there were just under 1 million apps available in the Apple App Store, and 700,000 in the Google Play Store. By 2023, those numbers surged to over 2 million apps in the Apple App Store and more than 3 million apps in the Google Play Store. This rapid growth in the number of digital products has led to a proliferation of smaller, more specialized teams and independent developers, creating a wide array of new opportunities in the tech world.
The surge in apps and digital services means that while fewer developers may be required to build each individual app, the need for skilled professionals has grown to meet the demand for new applications, systems, and services. These developments aren’t a sign of job loss for developers; instead, they signal the need for more people to manage, create, and innovate within this expanding ecosystem.
What we are really seeing is not a reduction in demand for skilled professionals, but an expansion of the technological landscape. As AI advances, it’s opening up new possibilities for technology to reach markets and industries that it hasn’t fully penetrated yet. Fields like healthcare, education, agriculture, and even the arts, which traditionally had limited access to cutting-edge technology, are now benefiting from these innovations. Automation and AI-driven tools are enabling more people to contribute to these sectors, creating entirely new roles and industries that never existed before.
For instance, AI is being used in agriculture to optimize crop yields, assist in precision farming, and even predict climate-related risks. In healthcare, AI-powered diagnostic tools and treatment planning are democratizing access to medical expertise, especially in underserved areas. As these advancements expand into untapped markets, they create a need for professionals with the skills to implement and guide these technologies effectively. In other words, as technology becomes more accessible and widespread, the demand for expertise grows exponentially.
As technology continues to evolve, bitbug is leveraging the latest advancements in AI and computer vision to build solutions that were once far more complex and resource-intensive. For example, we’ve helped develop a computer vision app that measures nails to help users select the perfect press-on nails, something that would have been extremely difficult to achieve with the technology available years ago. Another project we’re working on uses AI to create lesson plans for training, significantly reducing the time and effort needed to develop comprehensive educational content. We’re also building an app to streamline audit compliance, which cuts down the time required for auditing tasks that traditionally took months. Our AI-driven app also helps tech professionals navigate CLI tools more easily, making it simpler for them to perform complex operations in a fraction of the time. Lastly, we’re using computer vision to help people identify scams—a technology that can detect fraudulent schemes in real time, protecting users from financial loss. These examples show just how much more accessible and efficient advanced technologies have become, allowing us to tackle challenges that were once reserved for large teams and significant resources.
The truth is, as new technologies emerge, they empower more people to accomplish more, but they also increase the demand for skilled professionals to guide these advancements. AI, automation, and cloud technologies are powerful tools—but they need human expertise to unlock their full potential. Whether it’s guiding automation, interpreting data, or solving complex problems, human involvement will continue to be a critical part of the equation.
In conclusion, the future isn’t about eliminating jobs; it’s about expanding opportunities for people with the technical expertise to navigate the growing complexities of our digital world. AI and automation are here to enhance our abilities, not replace us. As we look ahead, those with technical skill sets will be needed more than ever to help lead and shape the ever-expanding landscape of innovation, reaching markets and industries that were once beyond the reach of technology. The synergy between human expertise and technological advancement will drive success and innovation for years to come.
PS: I do believe in SOCless, which is not the same as NoSOCs, but that is a discussion for another time.