We often think of GenAI eating into the roles of junior engineer (because of “having a coding agent is like having multiple junior engineers doin the mundane tasks for you”). Well, guess what, the impact on “Senior” Engineers is going to be much greater. The “” around Senior is here on purpose - GenAI is going to redefine what being a senior engineer really is. In an era of advanced generative AI, the traditional markers of a “senior engineer” are being redefined. We used to define seniority by who wrote the most elegant code, knew the architecture inside-out, or stayed on the cutting edge of frameworks - but today AI can do many of these as well as (or faster than) any human. Modern AI coding agents (no longer just “assistants”) can “smash out” ****complex tasks in minutes that once took top developers hours, and even offer architectural suggestions and up-to-date best practices out of the box. This is now. Think of what it would be like 2-3 years out. If being a 10× coder was your claim to seniority, it’s time to rethink – because AI’s *raw output* and ever-growing knowledge base are leveling that playing field. So what *does* define a senior engineer in the age of AI? This talk will argue that the future “senior” is less a code genius and more a versatile tech leader – essentially a hybrid of engineer, architect, and product manager. Writing flawless code or knowing every library is no longer enough when AI can generate quality code and even draft system designs on command . Instead, the value of a senior engineer shifts to higher-level skills: providing seasoned **judgment** and oversight to guide AI-generated output, seeing the *big picture* of systems and business needs, and excelling at human-centric skills that AI lacks. Successful engineers will collaborate across departments, translating customer and stakeholder needs into effective technical solutions. They’ll delegate routine coding to AI agents and **multi-task as orchestrators**, coordinating multiple threads of development simultaneously. Equally important, they’ll leverage “soft” skills - communication, adaptability, mentorship - which have become as crucial as technical acumen in this AI-driven landscape. In short, the senior engineer of tomorrow is a strategic **team player and innovator**, not just a superstar coder or architect. Are you ready to evolve with the role, or will you be left asking: *Am I still a senior engineer?*
Room: Room 3
Mon, Oct 27th, 13:20 - 13:50