Software developer says AI moving too fast, farming only option to survive

A software engineer with nearly a decade of experience says rapid AI development has made him question the future of software jobs. He is now considering farming, fearing traditional employment may become harder to find over the next five to 10 years.

In Short

• Software engineer considers farming as AI advances rapidly
• Developer says AI can now design systems better than humans
• Engineer fears traditional software jobs may become harder to find

A software engineer with nearly 10 years of experience is questioning whether a career in technology will remain a safe bet as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more capable. The developer has even considered taking up farming, fearing that traditional jobs could become harder to find over the next five to 10 years.

The engineer shared these concerns in a Reddit post on the r/ClaudeCode community titled “I’m tired, boss." Describing the pressure of keeping up with new developments, he questioned whether people could continue matching the pace at which AI technology is advancing.

"We're living through an absolutely insane time, and we're all trying to keep up, but honestly, I don’t even know if we can anymore," he wrote.

The developer said his outlook on AI had changed considerably over the past year. Earlier, he believed that while AI tools could generate code, experienced engineers would remain necessary for more complex responsibilities, including designing software systems and making architectural decisions. That distinction no longer gives him the same confidence. According to the engineer, AI tools are now capable of handling tasks that he once considered dependent on years of professional experience.

“It can design systems now. And in many cases, it does a better job than we do,” he wrote.

His concern goes beyond writing code. The engineer questioned what building websites, developing games and creating software-as-a-service (SaaS) products would mean for developers if AI could increasingly take over work that once required specialist knowledge.

“Sometimes I feel like we’re actively building the thing that’s going to make us obsolete,” he added.

The post ended with the developer expressing exhaustion at the constant need to learn and adapt. His suggestion of growing his own food or moving into farming shows his uncertainty about how much longer conventional technology jobs will offer dependable career prospects.

AI boom brings opportunities for some developers

While some software professionals are worried about being replaced, the growth of AI is also creating opportunities for people working directly on the technology.

One example is Tony Yuhuai Wu, a researcher who helped develop AI systems at Elon Musk's xAI. Wu previously worked as a research scientist at Google after internships at OpenAI and Google DeepMind. He joined xAI as one of its founding members in 2023 and contributed to the development of its Grok chatbot.

Wu, who holds a PhD in machine learning from the University of Toronto, left xAI in February, according to the supplied report. Announcing his departure on X, he wrote: “It’s time for my next chapter. It is an era with full possibilities: a small team armed with AIs can move mountains and redefine what’s possible.”

He has also reportedly purchased a California mansion for US$70 million, although he has not publicly confirmed the purchase.

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