Why sound engineering fundamentals remain irreplaceable in the AI age

If AI can write code, why should you learn to code? The honest answer is that AI does not replace software engineers; it multiplies the best ones, and the opportunity is only getting bigger.

The headlines make it seem like coders are at risk, but the on-ground reality is different. Companies are not reducing engineering teams but are raising the bar. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, has said that AI helps coders work faster and more creatively, while Google continues to hire engineers at scale. Developer platform GitHub’s chief executive has argued that the most innovative companies will hire more developers, not fewer, as AI increases ambition and throughput.

Fundamentals matter more than ever. Google has even reintroduced in-person rounds for technical roles to curb the use of AI tools in interviews. The companies that set the pace know one thing: good engineers will always be defined by their grasp of core computer science. The worth of a software engineer is no longer measured in lines of code, but in the complexity of problems solved. That is where AI is making a difference.

We are already seeing an AI-augmented software lifecycle; strategy informed by real-time data; AI assisting in code generation and testing; devOps pipelines with built-in security, and continuous learning from live systems. According to reports from Tenet and a 2026 Quantumrun Foresight report, tools like GitHub Copilot now account for as much as 46% of code in some projects, while Shopify has reported a 15% reduction in commit times after adoption. The result is faster cycles, better productivity, and higher morale.

This automates routine coding and frees up time for creativity, architecture, and product design. A single skilled engineer, augmented by AI, can now deliver what once required an entire team. The career outlook is clear. Software engineering is expanding, not contracting. A McKinsey study projects that the demand for tech talent will be two-to-four times higher than supply in the coming years. The European Union alone could face a shortfall of nearly four million skilled engineers by 2027. LinkedIn’s Q2 2025 report named Software Engineer as the most in-demand role worldwide.

The skills that matter most in this environment are equally clear:

• Computer Science fundamentals: Data structures, algorithms, operating systems, and networks.
• Systems design and architecture: Cloud-native environments, microservices, scale, reliability and security.
• AI fluency: Prompting, delegating, and verifying AI outputs.
• Creative problem-solving and soft skills: The ability to collaborate and communicate effectively in self-organising teams.

At scale, companies will run AI-augmented development pipelines with security and accountability built in. Human judgment, ownership, and responsibility will remain at the centre. This is the best time in history to be a software engineer. AI takes away the repetitive parts and gives you room to think bigger, ship faster, and build bolder. For those willing to do the challenging and rewarding work of mastering fundamentals and learning human-AI collaboration, the next decade holds extraordinary opportunities.

The writer is the co-founder of Scaler and InterviewBit.