Whatever your feelings about generative AI, this new technology is making its way into many parts of companies’ software stacks, raising existential questions for tech professionals everywhere. If you’re a software engineer or developer watching an AI-powered chatbot churn out code, you might be wondering if your job is safe.

First, here’s some the good news: AI hasn’t unleashed wholesale job destruction among technology professionals. However, it might require you to adjust your focus and strategy a bit. By concentrating on your strategic thinking and problem-solving skills and leaving generative AI to handle the more mundane aspects of your job, you can peacefully coexist with this new and rapidly evolving tech. Here are some handy tips:

Generative AI Can’t Replicate Everything Human

Yes, generative AI has gotten very good at generating words and lines of code in response to a prompt. However, it doesn’t understand context, and it’s not very creative: it can’t dream up a revolutionary new feature or propose a solution that disrupts the status quo. If your company is insisting that you embrace generative AI to write code, you can “future proof” your job by focusing more on those things that the technology can’t successfully replicate. For instance:

Think Like a Product Owner: Move beyond the code and delve into the “why” behind features. Analyze user needs, market trends, and competitor strategies to identify opportunities for innovation. Start your journey down this road by shadowing your product owner or business analyst on a project; ask questions about their thought process and decision-making.

Focus on Solving Strategic Problems: Don't wait to be told what to build. Identify long-standing problems within your product or industry and brainstorm potential solutions, even if they seem outlandish at first. To grow in this arena, schedule regular brainstorming sessions with colleagues from different disciplines. This cross-pollination of ideas can foster truly innovative solutions.

Constantly Push New Ideas: Be the one pushing boundaries and advocating for new concepts for products and services. Research emerging technologies and present them to your team, highlighting their potential impact. If you want to start off, prepare a concise presentation showcasing a new technology and its potential applications; Focus on the benefits it offers to your team and the company's goals.

Shifting Your Job Description

Of course, shifting your job to embrace a whole new set of tasks and workflows can turn into a long, drawn-out process. It also requires broader buy-in from both your manager and your team. Here are some quick tips for making a compelling case to your team:

• Focus on Efficiency: Frame your strategic thinking as a way to improve overall team efficiency. After all, you’re throwing more of your brainpower at strategy-level issues.
• Promote the Competitive Gains: In theory, more time to strategize and solve problems and come up with better products will allow your team and company to differentiate itself (in a good way) from competitors.
• Close Knowledge and Workflow Gaps: If your team lacks experience in areas like user research or market analysis, offer to champion training initiatives or workshops to upskill everyone.

The rise of AI is unavoidable. However, by effectively integrating it into your workflow, you can leverage it in ways that ultimately benefit your job and career as opposed to putting it at risk.