Proton CEO Andy Yen: "This will be the last year that we hire engineers."

Proton, the Swiss company behind Proton Mail and Proton VPN, is reportedly changing how it builds software as it adopts AI. CEO Andy Yen told staff in Slack that 2026 would be the company’s last year hiring engineers. From 2027, Proton plans to hire product managers who use AI to build products instead. The shift comes as the company presents itself as a privacy-focused alternative to major technology firms, raising questions about how faster AI-assisted development will fit with that identity.

The account says Proton’s CTO reported that AI wrote 90 percent of the company’s code in October. It also describes internal pressure on staff to demonstrate AI use, including employees being re-interviewed about how they use the tools. When one staff member requested security testing, Yen reportedly dismissed the concern as “loser thinking” and urged a faster approach. Internal material reportedly characterized Proton as underperforming and behind its revenue target. Together, these details portray an aggressive push to make AI central to product development amid commercial pressure, alongside concerns that speed may be taking priority over engineering practices - especially security testing - that matter for a company whose services depend on user trust and privacy.