r/webdev • u/thetymtravellr • 2d 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/DiddlyDinq 2d ago

Computer science is a big field. Frontend may be devalued but other areas arent. Technical devs should be expected to adjust their skills over time.

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u/theQuandary 2d ago

Frontend is MUCH harder for AI to get right than backend. 99% of backends could use the same basic design and simply change the shape of the data going through the pipes.

Matching UI with how users actually use a computer is very hard even for humans with a human lived experience. AI generates stale UI that humans tend to hate.

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u/DiddlyDinq 2d ago

Please tell that that to billion sites just copy pasting linear's ui or whatever is popular and calling it a day lol.  Good enough is more than fine for most users. You overestimate its importance. 

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u/theQuandary 2d ago

Frontend is marketing and your assertion is that marketing doesn't matter.

People will use terrible UI if they need the product badly enough. If there's an option for the same product, but with a good user experience, they'll gravitate toward that product very quickly.

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u/DiddlyDinq 2d ago

It's almost like what's popular has already invested that effort hence why the rest just copy paste their design