I get this question a lot. It comes in many forms, but it is the same question. And to be honest, it comes more often than I would like.
It reminds me of my own thoughts when I was your age.
Over time I have come to understand one thing - this question is not really about today. It comes from a genuine worry about the future. And it does not help that industry leaders keep making big statements - some say AI will solve everything, some say it will end all our jobs. All this noise only adds to the confusion.
So let me answer this in two parts - one moment from my own journey, and one simple way to think about your growth.
A moment from around 2006
One of the co-founders of Yahoo had visited our college. He shared his journey of building Yahoo. During the Q&A, I asked him something like this - "In the internet world, you people have already solved everything. Is there anything left for us to solve?"
I don't remember his exact words, but he smiled and said something like this - "As more people use the internet, there will be more users, and they will have needs we cannot even imagine today. There will always be new problems to solve."
That answer has stayed with me till today.
The Pyramid
Technology will keep moving ahead, and no single person can control that speed. But as an engineer, you can still build a clear and practical way of looking at AI, or at any technology. Think of it as four levels -
Where you stand on this pyramid is more in your hands than you think. Every time you can try to move one step up.
The point I want you to remember
Job titles like SDE or SWE may fade away one day, or they may change names. That is not in our control.
But your ability to use your skills to solve real problems - that will always open doors for you, no matter what the job description is called.