Will AI Replace Software Engineers—or Just Redefine Them?
July 22, 2025
AI adoption and building an AI-forward mindset start at the top. In this episode of SaaS That App: Building B2B Web Applications, Karynn Ikeda, Engineering Manager at Babylist, joins Aaron Marchbanks and Justin Edwards to discuss how leadership and culture shape whether engineering teams actually embrace AI or resist it.
This podcast is brought to you by Delta Systems, your one-stop shop for front-end, back-end, and full-stack software development. At Delta, Justin and Aaron share the same philosophy when it comes to clients: they treat people like colleagues, not just customers. Maybe that’s why Delta typically spends years working with the same companies: how many software engineering firms can you say that about? So, if you’ve got a big SaaS project in mind but have no idea where to start, come and get a free scope and estimate from Delta Systems on their website.
Got a burning idea for an episode, or a SaaS question you absolutely must know the answer to? Leave us a voice memo at _SaasThatApp
AI adoption and building an AI-forward mindset start at the top. In this episode of SaaS That App: Building B2B Web Applications, Karynn Ikeda, Engineering Manager at Babylist, joins Aaron Marchbanks and Justin Edwards to discuss how leadership and culture shape whether engineering teams actually embrace AI or resist it.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to cultivate an AI-forward mindset across engineering teams
- Why traditional software engineering roles will evolve rather than disappear
- The experimentation first framework for evaluating and implementing AI tools
- How to balance code quality and security when integrating AI-generated code into production
- Why remote teams require specialized approaches for AI tool adoption and training
Karynn Ikeda is an AI strategist and engineering leader at Babylist, where she drives AI adoption initiatives for the trusted platform serving millions of growing families. With over a decade of experience spanning software engineering, strategic operations, and digital storytelling, she has been instrumental in shaping how organizations embrace technological transformation. As an expert in human-centered technology implementation, Karynn focuses on amplifying the human experience through AI adoption while addressing practical challenges faced by engineering teams.
This podcast is brought to you by Delta Systems, your one-stop shop for front-end, back-end, and full-stack software development. At Delta, Justin and Aaron share the same philosophy when it comes to clients: they treat people like colleagues, not just customers. Maybe that’s why Delta typically spends years working with the same companies: how many software engineering firms can you say that about? So, if you’ve got a big SaaS project in mind but have no idea where to start, come and get a free scope and estimate from Delta Systems on their website.
Got a burning idea for an episode, or a SaaS question you absolutely must know the answer to? Leave us a voice memo at SaasThatApp
Highlights:
- [00:00] Introduction
- [00:51] From Greek Mythology to Hackathons
- [03:07] Helping Experts Embrace a Beginner’s Mindset
- [06:01] The Real Reasons People Resist AI
- [08:51] Will AI Replace Software Engineers?
- [14:50] Should Companies Pick AI Tools Carefully?
- [18:09] What Does an AI-Forward Company Look Like?
- [25:22] Remote Teams and AI Adoption
- [27:59] Keeping Code Quality When AI Writes the Code
- [32:19] The Wild West of AI Regulation
- [39:20] The Next Big Shift
Episode Resources:
- Karynn Ikeda on LinkedIn
- Karynn’s Arc Substack
- Babylist Website
- Aaron Marchbanks on LinkedIn
- Justin Edwards on LinkedIn
- Delta Systems Website