I do think software engineering is changing permanently.
Junior roles may evolve.
Interview expectations may shift.
The way we build products is already changing rapidly.
But I don’t think this means coding is dead.
I think it means shallow knowledge is becoming less valuable while deep understanding becomes more important.
The developers who survive long-term probably won’t be the ones competing with AI.
They’ll be the ones learning how to work with it while still understanding what’s happening underneath.
And honestly?
That has always been true in tech.
Every major shift changed the tools.
The internet changed development.
Cloud platforms changed development.
Open source changed development.
Frameworks changed development.
Now AI is changing development too.
But the people who kept learning usually adapted.
Maybe This Is the Real Skill
Maybe programming was never really about memorizing languages.
Maybe the real skill was learning how to stay curious when things stop making sense.
Learning how to sit with frustration long enough to solve something difficult.
Learning how to think clearly when systems become messy.
Fire meme
That mindset still matters.
Probably more than ever.