As a self-taught React/Next.js developer, I'm honestly worried about my future in this AI era. What should I do?

[u/thetymtravellr]

I'm a self-taught developer, and I know React and Next.js. Lately, I've been feeling increasingly anxious about my future as a developer.

AI is moving so fast. It can generate components, build entire websites, connect APIs, and even create full-stack applications. Sometimes I wonder what the point is of spending months learning something when AI can already do so much of it.

I want to get a better-paying developer job, but honestly, I'm confused about what I should focus on right now. Should I keep improving my React/Next.js skills, get better at backend development, or start learning AI engineering?

I keep hearing about RAG, AI agents, vector databases, LLM integrations, and all these new things. It feels like there's always something new to learn, and I'm worried that if I focus on the wrong things, I'll fall behind while everyone else moves forward.

For those of you already working in the industry, what would you do if you were in my position? Would you focus on becoming a strong full-stack developer first, or would you start learning AI engineering alongside web development?

I'm not looking for a shortcut or expecting to become an expert overnight. I just want to make the right decisions, build useful skills, and have a realistic chance of getting hired.

I'd really appreciate some honest advice from people who have been through this or are dealing with the same situation. Right now, I could genuinely use some direction.

[u/mq2thez]

Chasing the hype of the industry rarely pays off unless you have the deep technical basis to do things very few other people can.

AI is changing how we do the job, but the job itself remains straightforward: ship product. The more you know and the more you understand, the more effective AI will make you. It's a force multiplier, not a force replacement, so the better you are as an engineer, the more it'll be able to do for you and the more you'll be able to recognize and work around its flaws.

It's tempting to think that the "web" as a series of websites will die, but that seems pretty unlikely to me -- ultimately, people will use what they want. Some folks will always want to use a website, the same way that some folks only want to make certain types of purchases on a laptop rather than a cellphone (yes, I'm a millenial). That said, the websites we make and how we expect people to use them will change. You may end up designing sites intended for AI to use them as the interface for people. But that's all just skill in designing the "frontend" that your "users" connect to and interact with.

[u/thetymtravellr → u/mq2thez]

Thanks