June 1, 2026
Ctrl+Alt+Existential Crisis
What's gonna happen to software engineers?
Coders are spiraling as AI writes the work and steals the main-character energy
TLDR: A developer asked what artificial intelligence means for coders, and the comments instantly turned it into a fight over jobs, pride, and who still matters when software can be made faster. Some say little changes, others say teams are doomed, and many are mourning the loss of craftsmanship.
A soul-searching post asking “what happens to software engineers now?” lit up the comments, and wow, the crowd did not keep it calm. The writer’s basic idea was pretty simple: not every coder is the same. Some love code because it helps them build useful things, while others love code for its own sake. And in the age of artificial intelligence tools that can spit out software, that split suddenly feels very real. If machines can help anyone build apps and websites faster, what exactly happens to the people who used to be the gatekeepers?
That question triggered a full-on identity crisis in the replies. One camp was surprisingly chill, saying this is mostly business as usual: the flashy parts may get easier, but the hard behind-the-scenes work is still hard. Another camp went full doomer-lite, predicting giant teams will shrink, middle roles will fade, and experts who understand the real-world problem will matter more than the people typing the code. Then came the craftsmanship drama. One commenter compared the future of coding to handmade Swiss watches versus factory assembly lines, basically saying: sure, cheap mass production is coming, but premium handmade work will survive and maybe even become more valued.
And the most painfully relatable comment? A developer admitted that having AI write 90% of the code means shipping faster and getting tests done—but it also feels "boring as fuck." That was the mood in a nutshell: people aren’t just worried about jobs, they’re worried about pride, status, and whether pressing buttons for a chatbot is still a dream career or just glorified office karaoke.
Key Points
- •The article says the future of software developers is uncertain and that outcomes cannot be known with confidence.
- •The author argues developers are likely to adapt gradually into changed or new roles rather than disappear suddenly.
- •The piece proposes two broad groups of developers: those who use software as a means to build things and those who treat coding itself as the goal.
- •The author identifies with the "software as a means to an end" group and cites Boris Cherny as another example.
- •The article says AI tools can speed prototyping and expand what developers can build, while also lowering barriers for non-programmers and domain experts.