Re:Being an Engineer in 2026
by jappgar on Monday November 09, 2026 @05:46PM
(#50433392)
The move now is toward "software factories" where sucky design is no one's responsibility.
Eventually the whole thing will grind to a halt or fail catastrophically (that's life), but it will seem very good while it's working.
I don't know if there's a real role for engineers beyond designing and tuning the factory itself.
Of course, such a thing is only tractable on highly factorable platforms. Well designed incumbents have an edge for the next couple of years or so, until others catch up.
It gives me no pleasure to say this, but I think it will all be automated in the end. Engineers will be more like rare consultants who inspect and validate very high level solutions.
Eventually the whole thing will grind to a halt or fail catastrophically (that's life), but it will seem very good while it's working.
I don't know if there's a real role for engineers beyond designing and tuning the factory itself.
Of course, such a thing is only tractable on highly factorable platforms. Well designed incumbents have an edge for the next couple of years or so, until others catch up.
It gives me no pleasure to say this, but I think it will all be automated in the end. Engineers will be more like rare consultants who inspect and validate very high level solutions.