AI isn't replacing engineers. It's changing what makes one valuable.

I had a really interesting conversation today that got me thinking about where our industry is headed.

AI is everywhere. Every week there's a new model, a new tool, or a new agent that promises to change how we work. It's exciting, but it's also easy to get caught up in the hype.

One thing really stood out to me.

Having AI isn't what makes a great product. Knowing when and how to use it does.

AI can write code, summarize documents, create content, and speed up a lot of our work. But it doesn't understand your users, your business goals, or the tradeoffs behind every decision. It doesn't know why one feature should take priority over another, or when the technically "best" solution isn't the right one for the product.

That's still our job.

I also think the role of a software engineer is starting to shift.

Our value is becoming less about writing every line of code ourselves and more about understanding the bigger picture. It's about breaking problems down, making smart technical decisions, reviewing what AI produces, and knowing when to trust it and when to step in.

The best engineers won't just be great programmers. They'll be great decision makers.

They'll know how to combine technical knowledge, product thinking, and business context with AI to build something that actually solves a real problem.

AI isn't replacing engineers. It's changing what makes an engineer valuable.

The people who will thrive aren't the ones who ignore AI, and they aren't the ones who rely on it for everything either.

They'll be the ones who know how to lead it.

At the end of the day, AI is an incredibly powerful tool. But tools still need someone at the helm. The vision, the judgment, the creativity, and the responsibility behind a product still belong to people.

I'm excited to see where this shift takes our industry.