The 'AI replaces junior engineers' argument ignores basic economics. Junior employees aren't just cheap labor. They're salary insurance, pipeline protection, and the only hedge companies have against a senior workforce that increasingly doesn't need the job.
So I’ve been utilizing the big LLMs to help increase my productivity at work. And I have to say, yes, it absolutely makes me more productive.
However, I can only be more productive because I already have 25 years of experience in my field and I am already a senior and I can guide the “AI” to what I really need help with and I can see the mistakes it makes.
There is absolutely no way someone who hasn’t already been doing this job for 25 years would be able to just sit down with an AI assistant and replace me.
And my company has not hired any associate level employees who could replace me. All my peers are 5-7 years away from retirement. I’m 11 years away from retirement.