Stage 1 of 7 · 7 lessons · ~2 weeks
What AI is really doing to tech jobs
Separate the headlines from the evidence. Layoffs have several causes, AI is one of them and is cited more every year, and the clearest effect so far is fewer junior hires rather than mass firing of experienced engineers.
Start: The numbers since 2022Lessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order
Do this
- Read the summary of one layoff tracker and one research report from this stage
- Write down the four main causes of recent layoffs in your own words
- List your five biggest weekly tasks and rate how exposed each is to AI
- Find two growing areas next to your current skills
- Choose two data-based sources and read them once a week, not every day
Also worth your time
- Mastering the AI-Powered Stack: The New Must-Have Skills for Software Engineers (opens in a new tab)Read
How the engineer's job is shifting, and the skills that grow in value with AI
- Stack Overflow Developer SurveyGo deeper
How developers actually use and trust AI tools, from tens of thousands of answers
Before moving on: A one-page note in your own words: the main causes of the current layoffs, what the evidence says about AI and junior hiring, which of your tasks are most exposed, and two growing areas next to your current skills.
Fear makes people do one of two things: freeze, or chase every new tool. Both waste the months you have. Read the evidence once, properly, then turn it into a plan for your own job. Most of what protects you is not new: useful work, visible impact, savings and people who know you.