--- title: "Chasing new skills, going back to basics and pushing for collective action: how software engineers are adapting to AI" slug: "chasing-new-skills-going-back-to-basics-and-pushing-for-collective-action-how-software-engineers-are-adapting-to-ai" date: 2026-07-12 category: tech-pub tags: [] language: en sources_count: 1 featured: false publisher: AInauten News url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/chasing-new-skills-going-back-to-basics-and-pushing-for-collective-action-how-software-engineers-are-adapting-to-ai --- # Chasing new skills, going back to basics and pushing for collective action: how software engineers are adapting to AI **Published**: 2026-07-12 | **Category**: tech-pub | **Sources**: 1 --- ## TL;DR Software engineering was one of the best-paying professions in the US in 2022, but the advent of AI has disrupted it, leading to several layoffs and underemployment Every weekday, Matt, a software engineer, looks forward to his four-hour train commute to Pawling, New York. --- ## Summary Software engineering was one of the best-paying professions in the US in 2022, but the advent of AI has disrupted it, leading to several layoffs and underemployment Every weekday, Matt, a software engineer, looks forward to his four-hour train commute to Pawling, New York. It’s time he uses to work on his own project: a browser-based video game for which he writes every line of code himself. “I am actively trying to keep my axe sharp,” said Matt, who did not want to use his actual name, to protect his employment. In the last six months, Matt’s job has increasingly shifted away from coding, problem solving and software architecture towards reviewing code generated by artificial intelligence. Convinced that the shift will weaken his skills, he’s doing what he can to keep them intact. “I am trying not to leverage AI where I can.” Continue reading... --- ## Why it matters It’s time he uses to work on his own project: a browser-based video game for which he writes every line of code himself. --- ## Key Points - It’s time he uses to work on his own project: a browser-based video game for which he writes every line of code himself. - “I am actively trying to keep my axe sharp,” said Matt, who did not want to use his actual name, to protect his employment. - In the last six months, Matt’s job has increasingly shifted away from coding, problem solving and software architecture towards reviewing code generated by artificial intelligence. - Convinced that the shift will weaken his skills, he’s doing what he can to keep them intact. - “I am trying not to leverage AI where I can. --- ## Nauti's Take For small teams, this is a workflow issue, not a culture debate. If AI mainly fills the pipeline with code to review, the first check should be whether understanding, debugging depth, and long-term maintainability are actually improving, or whether you are just getting more output with weaker engineering judgment. --- ## FAQ **Q:** What is Chasing new skills, going back to basics and pushing for collective action about? **A:** Software engineering was one of the best-paying professions in the US in 2022, but the advent of AI has disrupted it, leading to several layoffs and underemployment Every weekday, Matt, a software engineer, looks forward to his four-hour train commute to Pawling, New York. **Q:** Why does it matter? **A:** It’s time he uses to work on his own project: a browser-based video game for which he writes every line of code himself. **Q:** What are the key takeaways? **A:** It’s time he uses to work on his own project: a browser-based video game for which he writes every line of code himself.. “I am actively trying to keep my axe sharp,” said Matt, who did not want to use his actual name, to protect his employment.. In the last six months, Matt’s job has increasingly shifted away from coding, problem solving and software architecture towards reviewing code generated by artificial intelligence. --- ## Related Topics - — --- ## Sources - [Chasing new skills, going back to basics and pushing for collective action: how software engineers are adapting to AI](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2026/jul/12/software-developers-engineers-ai) - The Guardian AI --- ## About This Article This article is a synthesis of 1 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage. **Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com) --- *Last Updated: 2026-07-12*