Engineering jobs are at risk (not from AI) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Georgy.Moshkin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 04:32:29 am
content: I may be wrong. But if it's true, the main question what one should do? Ironically, software and hardware engineers that often associate themselves with the AI technology and considering themselves experts in AI are among the professions at risk of being disrupted by AI itself. Still arguing that ChatGPT will not take their jobs. But I have realized that it was never about ChatGPT, not LLMs. Stop thinking ChatGPT, it's a history already. One thing to understand is this: if you are not working on something special and have some really special skills, your job could easily be automated or outsourced to other younger people with less experience but with much more energy.Examples of "useless" knowledge:Embedded LinuxCoding tools, IDEsGit, versioningPython, C, Java,...PCB routingFPGA, VHDLDocumentationTesting, usabilityand many more...It seems many of related jobs will turn into a lower-pay lower-skill jobs. A very few will get a salary raise. More jobs with less pay! Are we ready for this?As soon as new AI-based tools emerge, I suggest becoming an educator: write books, sell video courses, promote AI tools, anything! Start earning money this way and transition out of your engineering job. Instead of competing with younger "piranhas", teach them how to compete. Any better options?

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2025, 05:02:01 am
content: Better options? Sure: how aboutgrowing foodwriting and performing musicteachingbeing a river or wilderness guidebuilding rock wallscarving woodBeing an engineer ain't everything ...

author: Georgy.Moshkin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2025, 03:05:45 am
content: Teaching looks good.Regarding other, here are my comments in"Option - problem" format:growing food - food safety certification, plant diseases, delivery, may be difficult to scalewriting and performing music - not scalable for street performance, strong competition for digital delivery, so chances are smallguide - difficult to scale, tied to locationsrock walls - difficult to scale, maybe can win some niche using artificial hollow rocks optimized for faster construction and less weightcarving - strong competition at least in stone carving (CNC-based imitation of handmade goods), need to understand the nicheWhile these may be good for some, changing engineering to another low-skill high-competition niche does not make much sense unless it's well scalable. Many of these topics will end up badly when combined with engineering perfectionism. These are for simple practical people, who understand economics of life, and not for engineers. Probably education/consulting on any of these topics can be more rewarding. For many engineers, these niches are just new mind traps. Engineers optimize and do the things without evaluation of value. Most of engineers have nothing to do with any breakthrough in technology, but they easily caught in loops of solving "important" tasks. The problem is that solving these tasks for a single project is a waste of time, because financial reward is limited. This weakness can be turned into a strength by educating people who have more practical approach to economics of life. Moreover, this transition will help to soothe the engineering job market disruptions, it's good for everyone.

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2025, 03:09:27 am
content: Please explain what you mean by "scalable".I don't really get your objections based on this criterion.

author: Georgy.Moshkin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2025, 05:45:54 am
content: Quote from: Analog Kid on March 07, 2025, 03:09:27 amFor example, e-book, a video course, a piece of software are all scalable in a sense that:1. Can be reproduced without hiring more workers/renting more space2. Not limited by the geographical location much. The only barrier is a language3. Not limited by safety regulations/certification like electronics, food, materialsIdeally, it's a purely conversion-ratio based model. You choose what you do depending on conversion ratio and reach. Using most pessimistic estimates.For example:growing food - to scale need more soil, more workers, more electricity, more water, food certificates, need to meet standards for food producer, may involve some very strange requirementsperforming music - street/bar performance: can't perform simultaneously in several places, limited choices depending on current geographical locationguide - the same as for performing music. I think license may be required. Different local laws.rock walls - need more materials. Delivering rocks may be not trivial, expensive. Outsourcing artificial hollow rocks is risky because of quality issues (erosion during rain seasons). Possible license issues for performing construction works/etc.In other words, growing food, performing, guide, rock walls, etc. = need experience in lying, solving multiple problems, knowing when to stop, balance between certifications and pesticides, laws, delivery, timing, seasons. In my opinion, these are for non-engineering people. Maybe with some mentorship...

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2025, 08:30:38 pm
content: Let me take just one of your objections and show why I think it's somewhat contrived:Quote from: Georgy.Moshkin on March 07, 2025, 05:45:54 amFirst of all, is that really your concept of the entire realm of performing music? Busking?Let's take another possible form of this undertaking: playing in a symphony orchestra.This is something that many people around the world have as a vocation and as a way of earning a living. A very good living, BTW.Of course, it takes a certain amount of skill/hard work to achieve. But it is doable even in today's world, perhaps less so than the previous century, but still viable.So assuming that one has what it takes to become a symphony musician, I don't see what "scalability" has to do with it at all. If one decides to go this route, then one moves to a place that has a viable orchestra; that's really about the only limitation.A lot of your argument here strikes me as mere sophistry.

author: Georgy.Moshkin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2025, 04:22:48 am
content: Quote from: Analog Kid on March 07, 2025, 08:30:38 pmI have several years of music education piano, choir, theory. I was not the best student, but I was passionate about music and created multiple tunes in Scream Tracker and later in Impulse Tracker late 90s. Your idea of becoming a symphony musician is interesting, but yet bizarre in current context. Maybe you referred to the young people. That was exactly was I am thinking about:"job could easily be automated or outsourced to other younger people with less experience but with much more energy.". Yes, young people can become symphony musicians, and software/hardware engineers. They can spend time on the education while living with the parents. It's not a good option for a 30+ engineers. They should take action now, ideally before Christmas 2025. That's my opinion

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2025, 04:55:28 am
content: Quote from: Georgy.Moshkin on March 08, 2025, 04:22:48 amWhy not a good option for 30+ engineers?Your paradigm makes a whole lot of assumptions that I find questionable. The average age of a symphony player is well above 30, BTW.And what comes Xmas 2025? "the AI singularity"?

author: radiolistener
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2025, 05:02:21 am
content: I believe there is a risk primarily for trendy/hype professions. Yes, it may be difficult to earn a high salary as an engineer, but if you are truly interested in it, that is unlikely to stop you.

author: Georgy.Moshkin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2025, 07:47:57 am
content: Quote from: Analog Kid on March 08, 2025, 04:55:28 amMaybe it's not the worst option. But every option you gave (except teaching) sound very unexpected for me. I have some difficulties imagining the future of such choices like growing food, building rock walls, or playing in an orchestra. I think that we need something new. Teaching is good, there is always something, but it's hard for many. Possible solution is to leverage existing skills without adding too much of new requirements. In fact, using less skills than one using at their existing jobs is even better. Certainly not IOT smart food-growing kind of things, as that field is already saturated with more practical-minded people.Quote from: Analog Kid on March 08, 2025, 04:55:28 ammore like a re-evaluation of salaries. Reevaluation of value?

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2025, 09:05:30 pm
content: Quote from: Georgy.Moshkin on March 08, 2025, 07:47:57 amThat's because you seem to have some extraordinarily rigid ideas of what an engineer might do if they decided they no longer wanted to be an engineer. Or indeed whatanyonemight do if they were searching for what to do with their life.All of those alternatives I listed--all of them--are still viable options for a vocation and a way of earning a living.All of them.Just because things like "AI" have been superimposed upon our technological landscape and give the impression that "everything has changed", people still need things like symphonic music, rock walls, food, and wooden carvings and furniture.It's not as if everything is now going to come out of a Replicator like in Star Trek ...

author: beratungsresistent
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 15, 2025, 09:11:15 pm
content: I think the real risk isn’t just AI or automation, but devaluation of expertise. Many engineering roles are turning into lower-skill, lower-pay jobs because companies prioritize efficiency over deep knowledge. That said, adaptation is key.Rather than abandoning engineering, the best move is to position yourself where AI/tools enhance, not replace, your work—higher-level system design, niche expertise, or integrating AI itself into workflows. Teaching or consulting is one option, but engineering still has a future for those who stay ahead of the curve.