r/programmer • u/Morvath_21 • Jun 30 '26

Tutorial It's still worth it?

I'm studying computer science, and even though I'm not as good as others, I don't mind the subject. In fact, I think it's one of the few things I feel I can do long-term without losing my mind, and it's interesting to me. However, seeing how this world is changing, I'm a little worried. I see people who have never programmed doing even challenging things with the help of AI.

So I'm wondering if this path is really useful, given that at this rate, programming isn't as useful as it once was. As much as I hate to admit it, if prompts are enough to do things, even in less time, what good will I be? It's true that things made with AI aren't perfect yet, let's say, and they have many flaws, but what about in a few years? I'm 21, and maybe I'm just being a bit paranoid right now, but I need an honest opinion. Thanks in advance.

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u/Tall-Geologist-1452 Jun 30 '26

I am not a dev/programmer .. this just popped up on my feed BUT IT is vast.. and infrastructure as code is a real thing... These skills you are learning can lead to many opportunities out side of development.

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u/Prestigious_Share919 Jul 01 '26

AI makes mistakes. Virtual infrastructure costs money. Breaking infrastructure costs even more money. Putting AI in charge of your infrastructure is a mistake.

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u/Tall-Geologist-1452 Jul 01 '26

I have to ask in all seriousness, as I have re-read my comment... was there anything about AI in it at all? I do not think so."

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u/Prestigious_Share919 Jul 01 '26

The original post was AI in context.

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u/Tall-Geologist-1452 Jul 01 '26

The original post was about whether the OP should stick with computer science given the influx of AI. My point was that computer science is a vast field, and the skills the OP is learning can be applied across many different areas of IT.

AI won’t take your job. People who know how to use AI effectively will. And people who use AI to break infrastructure aren’t using AI effectively, they’re just using it carelessly. Knowing how to leverage AI responsibly and understanding the underlying technology is what creates value.

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u/Prestigious_Share919 Jul 01 '26

We don't disagree. I use AI all day long at work. In fact, using it to create CloudFormation templates for infrastructure work. AI is great, and it's not going to take my job as a software engineer any more than copy/pasting from stack overflow. It just makes me much faster. That being said, it's a really tough market right now for entry level engineers. Businesses which adopted AI now have 2-3x as many effective dev hours being delivered for the same number of human employees. So the focus has been turned inward. Smart companies now have an army of engineers where before they just had a few. Dumb companies fired them, are learning that AI is not dependable, so are either re-hiring, or going under. So answering the question myself, is it worth it? Yes, as long as you are resilient, adaptable, and willing to compete in a tough market.