Once believed that AI would not be able to replace humans, but now, this software engineer does not even believe that talented people can compete with AI's abilities in programming.

After nearly 10 years working in the software industry, a technology engineer is seriously thinking about leaving the keyboard to switch to farming. Not because he lost his job or was bored with his career, but because he no longer believes that even the best people can stand up to the pace of development of artificial intelligence (AI).

In a post on the Reddit community r/ClaudeCode titled "I'm tired, boss", this engineer admitted that changes in the technology industry are happening so fast that it is difficult for people to keep up. He said that for the first time in his life, he is seriously considering farming or growing his own food, because he is worried that in the next 5-10 years there will not be as many traditional jobs as there are today.

What is worth noting is that that worry does not come from someone new to the profession. Previously, he believed AI could write code but had difficulty taking on tasks that required systematic thinking. Senior engineers and software architects, in his view, will still play an important role in designing and overseeing projects.

However, that belief has changed after just one year.

"AI can already design systems. And in many cases, it can do it better than us," he wrote. Technology is making inroads into jobs that were once considered to require a high level of experience and expertise, causing this engineer to begin to doubt the meaning of building websites, developing games or software-as-a-service (SaaS) products.

“Sometimes I feel like we are building things that will make ourselves obsolete,” he shared.

This insecurity does not only appear in one individual. A UX/UI designer said that she once burst into tears during a discussion with her superiors after having to use AI 6-8 hours a day and manage a group of AI agents. A front-end programmer with 10 years of experience also admitted that jobs that were once thought to be impossible for AI to undertake are gradually being automated.

Can good people also be replaced?

The post quickly attracted many controversial opinions, especially opposition to the view that only weak people have to worry about being replaced by AI.

One commenter said that this argument unintentionally places responsibility on those who lose their jobs. Just because an engineer is fired when a business switches to using AI does not mean they are incompetent. Some opinions even say that businesses may choose AI instead of experienced personnel simply because of lower costs.

This raises questions about the value of expertise when an AI tool can take on much of the work at a lower cost. Not only that, automating basic tasks can also narrow the opportunities for new employees, who need initial jobs to accumulate experience and learn from colleagues.

A report on the Indian labor market, published in June and citing data from Indeed, recorded a 12.3% decrease in job postings in the field of software development in the country within three months. Positions related to information technology infrastructure, operations, support and data also declined. Although it cannot be confirmed that AI is the sole cause, these developments show that the path to entering the software industry is under pressure.

Is farming really the way out?

Amid the debate, a software engineer with 7 years of experience shared that he bought an old farm 4 years ago. He currently raises more than 100 chickens, sheep, bee colonies, grows fruit and vegetables, but still maintains a full-time job as an engineer.

Life is almost divided between office work and farm work. He doesn't have much time left to travel, entertain or have a proper day off. Farming is also more difficult than many people imagine: the farm once lost 32 chickens to predators, dozens of fruit trees died from disease, and bee colonies sometimes disappeared from their hives without the farmer knowing the reason.

According to the engineer, mistakes in agriculture can be very costly, both physically and mentally. This is a job that requires almost constant dedication, because animals and plants depend on their caretakers.

Dẫu vậy, anh vẫn cảm thấy cuộc sống này có ý nghĩa. Creating his own food, better understanding the production process and being able to bring eggs, fruit or lamb to his friends gives him a sense of satisfaction. His initial desire was not to prepare for a crisis scenario, but simply to be closer to the source of food and understand what he ate every day.

Câu chuyện nhận được sự đồng tình từ một số người tham gia thảo luận. Có người xem trang trại là nơi giúp họ tìm lại sự bình yên sau nhiều năm làm việc trong ngành công nghệ. Tuy nhiên, cũng có người thừa nhận đang kiệt sức vì phải vừa làm kỹ sư vừa chăm sóc vật nuôi.

In fact, farming is not an easy way to escape work pressure. But for some, the tangible rewards and sense of autonomy still make this choice worthwhile.

What is worth pondering in the stories of the above engineers is not only the risk of AI replacing some jobs, but also the feeling of exhaustion when workers have to constantly chase technology. When the skills that once helped them assert their value can quickly lose their edge, even finding a different path does not mean finding a lighter life.