In a development that has stirred the global tech and finance industries alike, Goldman Sachs has reportedly integrated Devin, an AI-powered software engineer developed by Cognition Labs, into its workforce. This move marks one of the most high-profile examples of artificial intelligence being used in core development workflows at a major Wall Street bank.
Unlike traditional AI applications limited to data analysis or automation, Devin is designed to function like a full-stack engineer—capable of coding, debugging, and completing development tasks with minimal human intervention. Sources familiar with the matter said that the AI is currently undergoing trials within Goldman Sachs’ internal engineering teams, contributing to routine programming tasks and long-term infrastructure projects.
The adoption has fuelled an industry-wide debate: Could AI replace six-figure tech roles in financial institutions and beyond?
What Is Devin?
Created by San Francisco-based startup Cognition Labs, Devin is described as an AI agent trained to operate like a human software engineer. It works 24/7, requires no salary or benefits, and can purportedly complete complex software tasks from writing code and conducting tests to generating documentation and shipping fixes.
The company behind Devin claims that it can autonomously:
- Set up development environments
- Review and debug code
- Write new modules across different programming languages
- Collaborate via GitHub and other code repositories
Devin has recently gained viral attention online, especially after demo videos showcased it building entire websites and applications from scratch. Its capabilities are currently being benchmarked against human developers in enterprise settings.
Goldman’s AI Strategy
Goldman Sachs has long embraced automation in its back-office and trading operations. However, Devin represents a strategic leap, bringing AI deeper into software engineering—traditionally seen as a domain requiring creativity, logic, and collaboration.
While the bank has not issued an official press statement about Devin’s hiring, insiders note that the move is part of a broader push to explore generative AI’s impact on productivity and efficiency. Goldman’s tech division, which employs thousands of engineers globally, may soon rely on AI co-workers for routine coding tasks, allowing human engineers to focus on high-level architecture and innovation.
The Broader Implications
The rise of AI developers like Devin raises critical questions about the future of employment in the software industry, particularly for junior engineers and recent graduates. As AI becomes more adept at coding, concerns have emerged around job displacement, salary pressures, and the shrinking of entry-level roles.
At the same time, experts suggest that AI will augment rather than replace developers—enabling faster prototyping, fewer bugs, and more scalable code. Industry analysts believe that the real opportunity lies in human-AI collaboration, where engineers oversee, guide, and integrate the output of intelligent systems.
“It’s not about replacing engineers—it’s about amplifying them,” said an AI expert familiar with Cognition Labs’ roadmap.
Startups and Big Tech Watching Closely
Goldman’s experiment with Devin has caught the attention of other global enterprises, including competitors in fintech and investment banking. Meanwhile, big tech firms like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft continue to refine their own agentic AI systems aimed at code generation and productivity.
Cognition Labs, the company behind Devin, remains relatively quiet about its client base but has indicated that multiple Fortune 500 companies are in pilot phases with their AI engineer.
As generative AI continues to reshape traditional workflows, Goldman Sachs’ adoption of Devin is seen as a test case—one that may either reinforce the value of AI integration or reignite calls for ethical and regulatory oversight in workforce automation.