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AI adoption may fundamentally change software engineering as a long-term career. Even if using AI tools causes skill atrophy over time, engineers may still be obligated to use them to remain competitive — just as construction workers must lift heavy objects despite long-term physical wear. The analogy to professional athletes is drawn: software engineers may be entering an era where the career has a finite productive lifespan, and those who refuse AI tools risk being outcompeted. The post urges engineers to acknowledge this possibility and plan accordingly, rather than dismissing it.

Software engineering may no longer be a lifetime career

clickbait , why are you doing this stop it , scaring juniors just for a sake of few views

I think this is a bad take.
<ol>
<li>Over the last years my skills grew like crazy despite using AI.</li>
<li>One can just do software engineering in their time off</li>
</ol>
Lets say AI usage actually reduces your skills over time to 0 (it doesnt). Is the argument then that new people with skills will replace the people who are in the field for a long time because their skills atrophied too much? How do these new people gain skills, if not on the job? But if they are on the job, then how do they have a job without being bound to using AI which according to the argument does reduce skill, not enhance it?
This makes no sense.

Regarding the article, I think that being a software developer doesn’t mean just writing code, I think that on average we all think that a little bit.