{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/cisco-assigns-27-year-old-engineer-to-rewrite-98-of-legacy-code-with-a","json":"https://digestai.news/story/cisco-assigns-27-year-old-engineer-to-rewrite-98-of-legacy-code-with-a.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/cisco-assigns-27-year-old-engineer-to-rewrite-98-of-legacy-code-with-a.md","slug":"cisco-assigns-27-year-old-engineer-to-rewrite-98-of-legacy-code-with-a","headline":"Cisco assigns 27-year-old engineer to rewrite 98% of legacy code with AI in 24 months","summary":"Cisco’s president, Jeetu Patel, has given a 27-year-old engineer, Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy, an unprecedented task: refactor 98% of the company’s legacy code within 24 months using AI. Krishnamurthy, previously at Cisco after its acquisition of translation startup EzDubs, was previously stuck in a low-level role. Patel, citing Krishnamurthy’s claim that even Cisco’s AI-forward teams weren’t leveraging AI for code refactoring, has granted him unlimited AI tokens and a four-week proof-of-concept phase to prove the approach’s feasibility.\n\nPatel’s move reflects a broader push to inject younger, AI-savvy talent into legacy tech firms. He aims to hire more engineers who challenge traditional corporate structures, blending experienced operators with AI-native founders. The strategy comes amid rising concerns about AI-driven coding risks, including accidental data deletions and unintended edits. Patel acknowledges potential friction between Gen Z hires and older employees but frames it as necessary for innovation.","keyPoints":["Cisco gives 27-year-old engineer Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy unlimited AI tokens to refactor 98% of legacy code in 24 months","Krishnamurthy previously worked at Cisco after its 2023 acquisition of translation startup EzDubs, where he co-founded it","Patel cites AI coding’s risks but sees young hires as key to disrupting legacy tech workflows"],"whyItMatters":"Cisco’s bold experiment signals how AI-driven code refactoring could reshape enterprise tech, but risks like accidental deletions remain unaddressed.","category":{"slug":"enterprise","name":"Enterprise & Industry","url":"https://digestai.news/category/enterprise"},"entities":{"companies":["Cisco","EzDubs"],"models":[],"people":["Jeetu Patel","Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-30T11:26:56Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-30T11:26:56Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"Tom's Hardware","title":"Cisco gives 27-year-old engineer unlimited AI tokens to rewrite 98% of the company's legacy code in 24 months — president plucks former startup founder, telling him to 'go nuts'","url":"https://tomshardware.com/tech-industry/big-tech/cisco-gives-27-year-old-engineer-unlimited-ai-tokens-to-rewrite-98-percent-of-the-companys-legacy-code-in-24-months-president-plucks-former-startup-founder-telling-him-to-go-nuts","publishedAt":"2026-10-30T11:26:56Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Cisco assigns 27-year-old engineer to rewrite 98% of legacy code with AI in 24 months\", 30 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/cisco-assigns-27-year-old-engineer-to-rewrite-98-of-legacy-code-with-a","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Cisco assigns 27-year-old engineer to rewrite 98% of legacy code with AI in 24 months","datePublished":"2026-10-30T11:26:56Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/cisco-assigns-27-year-old-engineer-to-rewrite-98-of-legacy-code-with-a"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}