AI Didn't Stop Coming for Your Job. We Just Misread the Pause.

Introduction

Over the last few years, software developers have lived through one of the most chaotic cycles the industry has ever seen. The pandemic sparked a massive hiring surge, companies staffed up aggressively, and then the economy shifted and thousands of engineers were suddenly out of work. AI tools emerged at the same time, adding a layer of uncertainty and anxiety to an already unstable landscape.

Recently the story seems to be changing again. Articles suggest AI is not ready to replace engineers. Some companies that downsized are rehiring. Many people are interpreting this as proof that the worst is behind us. It is understandable why this interpretation feels comforting, but it is not accurate. This moment is not a reversal. It is a recalibration. The long term trajectory remains the same.

What Is Actually Happening in Tech

Tech has a long pattern of overcorrecting. We over hired during the pandemic. We over fired during the downturn. Now companies are adjusting again and settling somewhere between those extremes. Crunchbase data from 2024 and 2025 makes this clear. Companies continued to restructure far beyond the initial wave, and most reductions were labeled as normalization or efficiency adjustments rather than AI related cuts.

This alone should reshape how we interpret the current moment. The industry is not stepping away from AI. It is simply correcting after a series of reactive decisions.

Why the "AI Isn't Ready" Stories Are Misleading

There are real examples being used to argue that AI is slowing down. Klarna publicly claimed AI tools replaced hundreds of roles, only to begin rehiring. Bob McGrew, the former head of research at OpenAI, said that engineers are not being replaced and that current tools still depend heavily on human judgment. Research from arXiv points out that AI assisted code may create long term maintenance challenges.

All of these points are true in isolation, but none of them support the idea that engineering roles are safe or that the automation curve is slowing. They point to something else. Companies underestimated the complexity. They pushed too fast. They set unrealistic expectations and are now adjusting. The direction has not changed.

Where the Industry Is Actually Moving

Engineering teams are becoming smaller. AI tools are being woven into daily workflows, especially for repetitive and predictable tasks. Entry level ladders continue to shrink. Business Insider has reported on this trend across Google, Meta, Amazon, and many others. Many tasks that once justified junior roles are now handled by AI systems.

This is not about replacing entire jobs in one move. It is about automating slices of jobs. When enough slices disappear, the role evolves. That is the transformation we are living through.

The Human Side of This

It is natural to reach for comfort after years of instability. We want to believe that things are finally settling. But false comfort can keep people from preparing for what comes next.

I want to speak directly to the people in my network. I am not writing this to scare anyone or to pile onto the anxiety that engineers are already carrying. I have watched close friends and colleagues get laid off. I have watched them rebuild their confidence and their identities. I have watched people anchor their hopes to reassuring headlines that do not tell the full story.

My intention here is care, not fear. I want people to stay aware and stay ahead. I want people to build the skills that make them adaptable and durable in a world that is moving incredibly fast. Hope is important, but hope without preparation is dangerous.

What This Means for You

None of us can control the pace of technological change, but we can control how we respond. If you use this pause to strengthen the parts of your work that AI cannot absorb, you will be in a far better position when the next correction arrives. If you assume this moment means the storm has passed, you are far more likely to be blindsided.

The hiring rebound is real, but temporary. The uncertainty is real, but manageable. The future is still unfolding. The people who thrive will be the ones who treat this pause as an opportunity to prepare rather than as evidence that the pressure has disappeared.

Final Thoughts

The direction of the industry has not changed. Only the timing has. What you do with that time is what will determine your stability in the years ahead.