AI isn't taking jobs. Executives are using it as cover to cut costs and boost their bonuses in an extremely short sighted attempt to pad their own "accomplishments".
Poorly thought out AI strategy means executives are thinking AI implementations for Security, Development, DevOps can replace actual professional engineering. They cannot. AI cannot handle Security, governance/compliance, monitoring, proper Development or even content accuracy. Let's not even talk about response hallucinations from the best AI models.
Every new technology, framework, or methodology, at the beginning of its hype cycle, is used for cutting costs or efficiency. Instead it reveals out of touch, inept leadership and overall bad company management. Easy to spot red flags.
Companies need level-headed, clear-eyed (sane) professionals in place to implement ethical AI strategies instead of conducting a hype train on vibe coding at the expense of their shareholders and employees.
Shareholders are savvy enough to know that layoffs are a sign of leadership playing a shell game (another article for another time). What is expected is a real world understanding of how and why AI should be implemented and governed.
An accurate extended perspective about AI implementation and additional downstream effects leads to seeing this:
Software engineers (real ones) have been watching amateurs hack out badly designed systems for years. They've made a career out of slowly unpicking the mess created by those amateurs.
AI coding agents are not a new problem. They're just the old problem, automated. In the right hands they can be guided to produce a well constructed system that is maintainable and reliable.
As always, it's still about hiring the right hands for the job and letting them use whatever tools they need to do it properly.
AI will be one of those tools.