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Software engineers panic over AI coding takeover

Source: thefp.com

TL;DR

Software engineers fear AI coding tools will make traditional programming skills obsolete.
Senior engineer Shawn saw OpenAI's 2022 demo draw a blue square via voice command and declared his $150,000 career cooked.
Computer science majors must pivot to mastering AI rather than coding alone.

The story at a glance

Evan Gardner profiles software engineers like Shawn, a 20-year veteran earning $150,000 on metaverse projects, who panicked after watching OpenAI's early AI coding demo in spring 2022. Shawn now says nobody should learn coding because AI handles it, urging everyone to embrace the technology instead. The piece, published April 7, 2026, by The Free Press, captures this shift amid rapid AI advances in code generation.

Key points

Coding was sold as a secure, high-paying career path, but AI demos like OpenAI's—featuring Sam Altman—showed models instantly executing commands like "draw a square on this HTML page and color it blue."
Shawn, at a career peak, felt his future shatter in five seconds upon seeing the demo, leading him to conclude "my career is cooked."
He now advises, "Nobody should learn coding; that’s just done," reflecting widespread anxiety among engineers.
Article questions future for computer science majors as AI takes over routine coding tasks.
One snippet suggests CS grads may still thrive by becoming AI experts to harness its power.[[1]](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-software-engineers-are-freaking)

Details and context

The article draws from Shawn's personal turning point in 2022, when OpenAI showcased its first code-capable model, likely Codex or an early GPT variant integrated into tools like GitHub Copilot. At the time, he was building metaverse software—a hyped field that itself faded—highlighting tech's fast-changing priorities.

AI coding tools have since matured, boosting productivity for basic tasks but raising fears of job displacement for mid-level roles focused on implementation. Broader reports note tech layoffs in 2026 partly tied to AI shifts, though many are rehiring for AI/ML specialists.[[2]](https://jobsbyculture.com/blog/ai-layoffs-2026-who-is-hiring)

Computer science education faces pressure: while enrollments boomed post-"learn to code" campaigns, AI could redirect focus toward prompting, oversight, and integration skills.

Key quotes

“Nobody should learn coding; that’s just done,” Shawn said.[[1]](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-software-engineers-are-freaking)
“It took me five seconds... before I was like: Okay, my career is cooked,” Shawn said.[[1]](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-software-engineers-are-freaking)

Why it matters

AI's encroachment on coding threatens a profession long seen as recession-proof, forcing a rethink of tech career paths. For students, workers, and companies, it means prioritizing AI literacy over pure programming to stay relevant. Watch hiring trends in AI engineering roles and tool adoption rates, though full replacement remains unproven.