Are Engineers Even Needed Anymore?

#ai #engineer #aiera

Hey it's Buono. This one's been sitting in my head for a while so I'm just gonna get it out.

Are engineers still needed? Specifically in the AI era — what happens to us?

If you're an IT engineer right now, I know you're thinking about this. And if you're like me — no deep specialization, relatively early in your IT career — the anxiety is even worse.

I don't have a silver bullet. But I do have a sense of where things are heading. And I want to talk about it from the angle of engineering rather than engineers. Because I think that's where the real question is.

Engineering Has Always Had Two Jobs

Think about it. Engineering serves two purposes:

Building things that are useful
Building things that move people

Here's my take: the first one — building useful stuff — is dying. Slowly but definitely.

The second one — building things that move people emotionally — is about to become everything.

We're talking self-expression, self-actualization, personal creativity. Engineering as an extension of culture and hobbies rather than productivity and efficiency.

We Already Have Enough Useful Stuff

Look around you. Be honest. How much of what's in your life actually needs to be improved?

Your phone works. Your fridge works. Your apps work. We've got more convenience than any generation in history. And yet companies are still pumping out new products and startups are still chasing marginal improvements like nothing has changed.

I'm gonna be blunt: most of it is unnecessary. Can we just stop?

People are burning out. The planet is burning up. All for what — shaving 3 seconds off a workflow? A slightly better notification system?

This doesn't last. Everyone knows it deep down.

But Engineering Isn't Dead

Here's where it gets interesting.

In a society that shifts toward people and culture as the center — which I think is where we're headed — engineering still matters. A lot actually.

Because when people start pursuing self-expression and creative projects seriously, they hit walls. Technical walls. And that's where engineering skills become valuable again.

My wife told me about someone she knows who rigged up LEDs on their musical instrument for a performance. That's engineering. But it's not "useful" engineering. It's engineering in service of self-expression. That's the future.

"I Didn't Become an Engineer to Make Toys"

I know some of you are reading this thinking: "I became an engineer to build things that matter. Not hobby projects."

And I get it. That's what we were all taught. Engineering = solving real problems = making useful things. That was the whole identity.

But the world changed. There's already enough useful stuff out there. So what exactly are you trying to build?

I genuinely can't answer that anymore. And I don't think most engineers can either.

I Stopped Calling Myself an Engineer

The shift from "building useful things" to "building things that move people" — that's not a minor tweak. It's a fundamental change in what engineering is for.

And honestly? The person who helps others express themselves, create meaningful things, bring their vision to life — that's not really an engineer. That's a creator.

So I stopped calling myself an engineer. I go by creator now.

Not because engineering doesn't matter. But because the role has evolved and the old label doesn't fit anymore.

Maybe it's time you rethink yours too.

Catch you later ✌️