Whatever your feelings about generative AI, this new technology is making its way into many parts of enterprise software stacks, raising existential questions for tech professionals in every field. If you're a software engineer or developer watching an AI-powered chatbot generate code, you might be wondering if your job is safe.
First, the good news: AI hasn't completely disrupted employment for technology professionals. However, you may need to adjust your focus and strategy a bit. By focusing on strategic thinking and problem-solving skills and leaving the more mundane aspects of your work to generative AI, you can peacefully coexist with this rapidly evolving new technology. Here are some tips to help you:
Generative AI can't recreate everything about humans
Sure, generative AI is very good at generating words or lines of code in response to a prompt. But it can't understand context and it's not very creative. It can't come up with innovative new features or propose solutions that disrupt the status quo. If your company is asking you to hire a generative AI to write code for you, you can “future-proof” your work by focusing on the things that technology can't replicate well. For example:
Think like a Product Owner: Go beyond the code and dig into the “why” behind features. Analyze user needs, market trends, and competitor strategies to identify opportunities for innovation. To embark on this path, start by accompanying product owners and business analysts on projects and questioning their thought processes and decision-making.
Focus on solving strategic problems: Don't wait to be told what to build. Identify a long-standing problem within your product or industry and brainstorm potential solutions, even if they seem outlandish at first. To grow in this field, schedule regular brainstorming sessions with colleagues from different disciplines. The cross-pollination of ideas leads to truly innovative solutions.
Always promote new ideas: Be the person who pushes the boundaries and advocates for new concepts for products and services. Research new technologies and present them to your team, highlighting their potential impact. Start by preparing a concise presentation introducing the new technology and its potential uses. Focus on the benefits it will bring to your team and the company's goals.
Changes in job description
Of course, changing your job to incorporate an entirely new set of tasks and workflows can be a long and tedious process. It also requires broad buy-in from both your manager and your team. Here are some quick tips to help you make a compelling case to your team:
- Focus on efficiency: Frame strategic thinking as a way to improve the overall effectiveness of your team. After all, you're bringing more brainpower to bear on strategic-level problems.
- Promoting competitive interests: In theory, having more time to strategize, solve problems, and produce a better product will help your team and your company differentiate (in a positive way) from the competition.
- Bridging the knowledge and workflow gap: If your team lacks experience in areas like user research or market analysis, offer to facilitate training initiatives or workshops to upskill everyone.
The rise of AI is inevitable, but by integrating it effectively into your workflow, you can ensure that it ultimately benefits your job and career, rather than poses a danger to you.
