GenAI Future

Note to the reader: This is a repost from LinkedIn

How I think about Gen AI and its impact on being a software engineer: “AI won’t replace X, but X who use AI will replace those who don’t.”

Here’s what I will be doing and saying to others to stay ahead (or at the same spot if I’m being cynical):

1. Start using AI tools NOW. Not tomorrow, not next quarter - now. Engineers using AI will ship more code. It’s like refusing to use version control in 2025 - technically possible, but why handicap yourself?

And it’s not just coding - it’s writing docs, slides, emails, etc. You have to communicate effectively, right?

1. Focus on skills AI (still) struggles with, but leverage AI to help you get there:

• System Design & Architecture: AI can reason with you to prototype components, but you decide the trade-offs and system boundaries. Use it to explore options faster.
• Breaking Down Complex Business Problems: AI can’t understand full business context, but can help organize your thinking and generate questions you should consider.
• Product Strategy & User Experience: You make the strategic calls, but AI can help analyze feedback and generate alternatives to consider.

1. We are also as the agent calls Neo in the Matrix, “only human”, so we have to be better at those “only human” tasks:

• Cross-team Collaboration: AI won’t build relationships, but can handle the prep work so you focus on actual human interaction.
• Technical Leadership: Focus on mentorship and direction-setting. Use AI to help gather your thoughts and think through scenarios with you and prepare you better.

Think of it this way: AI is becoming our pair programmer, handling the implementation details while we focus on the bigger picture. The most valuable engineers won’t be the ones writing the most code - they’ll be the ones who can guide AI to build the right solutions.

The only way to get good at this is to start now. We’re all learning together - the difference is between those who are actively experimenting and those waiting on the sidelines.

The future isn’t AI vs engineers. It’s engineers with AI vs engineers without AI.

Your move.