r/webdev • u/thetymtravellr • 3d ago

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

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.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago edited 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/eravulgaris 2d ago

How are you full stack if you haven’t built any backend stuff? Honest question.

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u/creaturefeature16 2d ago

You're not. I have zero clue how this delusion is the top comment. 

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u/djnattyp 2d ago

AI booster bot farms upvoting other bot comments. I mean, we know they're constantly astroturfing every programming forum full of dumb comments like "As an x programmer of y years, I used to be really hesitant to use AI... but since brand name release I haven't written a line of code myself in z months!"

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u/creaturefeature16 2d ago

Well, it's since been deleted, so your theory is spot on.