Kotlin 2026: Layoffs, AI, Google — Is the Golden Age Over?

Jake Wharton left Cash App in November 2025, amid widespread layoffs across the tech industry. He later revealed the nine values he considers important when choosing his next job, the first of which was “No AI.” In this video, Jake explains why he decided not to use AI and discusses the remaining criteria he uses to choose his next job.

2 learners are taking this course

Level Beginner

Course period Unlimited

Android
Android
Swift
Swift
Kotlin
Kotlin
developers
developers
AI
AI
Android
Android
Swift
Swift
Kotlin
Kotlin
developers
developers
AI
AI
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What you will gain after the course

  • You can understand Jake Wharton’s perspectives and values on technology and careers as a software engineer in the AI era.

  • You can explore the background behind Kotlin’s growth in the Android ecosystem and Google’s process of adopting Kotlin.

  • You can compare the language features and ecosystems of Kotlin and Swift to understand the strengths and limitations of each language.

  • You can hear Jake Wharton's views on Kotlin's current position and future possibilities.

Kotlin 2026: Layoffs, AI, Google — Is the Golden Age Over?

We talk with Jake Wharton about Kotlin’s past and present, his thoughts on AI, developer careers, and open source.

After leaving Cash App in November 2025, Jake revealed nine values he uses to choose his next job. The first of these was “No AI.” In this interview, we hear why he doesn’t use AI and the criteria he uses to choose a company.

It also covers a variety of topics that Kotlin developers will find interesting, including Google’s adoption of Kotlin, Kotlin’s current competitiveness, Kotlin vs Swift, and comparisons between Kotlin Multiplatform, Flutter, and React Native.

The full interview, approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes long, is provided in a total of six lectures.

Key Topics

  • Why did Google adopt Kotlin?

  • Why Jake Wharton Refuses to Use AI

  • Mass Layoffs and the Changing Developer Job Market

  • Will Kotlin still benefit your career in 2026?

  • Has Kotlin’s heyday come to an end?

  • Swift vs Kotlin

  • Kotlin Multiplatform vs Flutter vs React Native

  • How to Work as a Developer for a Long Time Without Burning Out

  • The Future of Open Source and Kotlin

Introduction to Jake Wharton

Jake Wharton is a software developer who has been active in the Android and Kotlin ecosystems for many years. He has contributed to widely used Android open-source libraries such as Retrofit and OkHttp, and participated in the process of introducing and promoting Kotlin for Android at Google.

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Are there any JetBrains content you'd like to watch on Inflearn?

Are there any videos or series among the technical content uploaded to the JetBrains YouTube channel that you would like to watch on Inflearn with subtitles or dubbing? 📧 Please send your requests to marketing.kr@jetbrains.com or through the official JetBrains Korea accounts (X / Facebook)!

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Who is this course right for?

  • Developers interested in the present and future of Kotlin and Android development

  • A software engineer contemplating the role and career direction of developers in the AI era

  • Those interested in changes in the global tech industry and the criteria engineers use when choosing their careers

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JetBrains is a global software company used by over 15 million developers worldwide, providing a diverse range of IDE products such as IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, DataGrip, and Rider, as well as AI tools that enhance productivity. It is also well-known as the developer of the programming language Kotlin.

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6 lectures ∙ (2hr 16min)

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