I think I'm becoming a bad software engineer

I haven’t been one to quickly embrace new technologies. From my perspective, many developers tend to rush into adopting the latest tools due to market pressures and the urgency to deliver products—often products that fail to tackle genuine societal issues. This reflects my current thoughts on AI. Over the past month, I’ve committed to integrating AI into my workflow and attempting to “vibecode,” as it’s referred to. I’ve started using a paid version of GitHub Copilot alongside a free IDE called Antigravity.

These IDEs offer code completion and in-line chat for problem-solving and code explanation, along with AI agents that can scan and fix issues across multiple files and directories. This has increased my productivity, but I’ve also noticed a decline in the quality of my code. I’ve found myself relying too heavily on AI for simple tasks, and I’ve even started to question the value of my own work.

Coding isn’t as fun as it used to be. Solving problems with code once felt exciting, but now it just feels like a task to complete. This makes me wonder if my work is still meaningful and if relying too much on AI is harming my professional standards.

To be clear, I’m not saying AI is bad. I’m just worried about how it’s changing the craft of software engineering. I admire people like George Hotz and Jonathan Blow. They became masters through years of hard work and deep thinking about code and problems, not by just letting AI do the work for them.

When I first started coding, it was really fun and challenging. I loved learning and solving problems. While I still face similar situations, the joy I once felt has faded. My current challenge is how to use AI effectively without giving up on becoming a true expert.

I see the best software engineers as craftspeople who treat coding like an art, much like a carpenter dedicated to their work. They think deeply to create solutions that not only work but are also smart and well-made. My worry is that AI, while making us faster, might accidentally prevent us from reaching this high level of skill.

Many engineers, I’ve noticed, care most about speed and making money. I believe this often leads to a lot of average software (and I admit, I sometimes fall into this habit). I’m determined not to be one of them. I want to stay in software engineering for the long run, driven by passion, not just by how much money I can make.

For a long and rewarding career in software engineering, mastering my skills is most important. I plan to keep using tools like AI wisely, staying updated with new technology without just following every new trend.

My main message is this: as software engineers, we should focus on improving our craft and having a true passion for technology, rather than just chasing money. The best software engineers are like skilled craftspeople. They deeply understand their field and can solve complex problems with code. AI, in this context, helps us work better and faster, but it’s never a replacement for our own skill and deep knowledge.