AI is wiping out the middle class of software engineering
AI is removing the middle class of software engineering
In 2026, AI agents let engineers generate thousands of lines of code in a day, but the resulting complexity is outpacing human understanding. A senior engineer describes reviewing a 25,000-line PR, discovering that teammates rely on AI conversations for design decisions, and watching projects spiral into unmaintainable messes. The author argues that AI lowers the barrier to producing code, making bad engineers more dangerous and good engineers more valuable, and predicts a widening salary gap.
A person can generate 20,000 lines of code in an afternoon, but you still have to sit there and understand what those lines actually do.