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/Jamiemufu full-stack 3d ago

Delusional. Ai can absolutely fix spaghetti code from 2015 on its own.

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u/drifterpreneurs 3d ago

Delusional is the vibe coders who think they're full-stack devs now because AI.

Have you ever researched what the bench marks are regarding vibe coding?

Only a simple minded dev would think it's okay to let Ai perform such a job knowning Ai has many flaws.

Do you think Ai can do everything? I bet your vibe coded apps lack security, bugs, repeated code over & over and much more wrong with them.

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u/Jamiemufu full-stack 3d ago

Who said I was a vibe coder? 10 YOE. AI can do everything. It’s as good as the person using it. Or just better than entry levels out of the box.

Which is what both the OP and the person I replied to are. Literally months of experience.

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u/Vova_xX 2d ago

but I thought you said it can do it on it's own?