I have been working as a software developer for more than 15 years. I studied Computer Engineering out of pure passion — the first time I saw a computer I was completely captivated. During my studies I learned a great deal, and for a long time I held the (now somewhat mistaken) idea that the main value a computer engineer brings is the ability to "translate" requirements into technology through code.
Even though I mentioned in an interview published on Genbeta that code is not always the most important part, writing code has nonetheless occupied a large portion of my working life — it has been the bulk of what I do.
The arrival of large language models changed that. Since 2022, and with the progressive integration of generative tools into IDEs and the rise of multi-agent systems, the barrier to entry for producing code has shifted. Suddenly, we are no longer the only beings able to perform that translation. Anyone can try to generate working code, and what is more unsettling is that this is only the beginning. I honestly don’t know what my professional path will look like in five years.
I feel for the juniors who are starting now — it is a strange moment. On one hand, they may avoid some of the head-scratching problems I had to solve; on the other hand, I believe that the resilience and problem-solving discipline that come from wrestling with tricky bugs is valuable and is only truly acquired through practice. Many of those formative struggles can now be short-circuited by a chat or an automated assistant.
It is clear that software will be produced more quickly, and I am uncertain how everything will settle in the long run. As Linus Torvalds put it: "The genie is out of the lamp" — you cannot put it back in. The sensible path is to learn these tools and put them to use.
In short, the craft of software development is changing in front of our eyes. The role of the engineer is shifting, but the core skills of critical thinking, design, and continuous learning remain essential. We must adapt and use these new capabilities as instruments rather than see them as replacements for thoughtful engineering.