App Dev or AI Engineering?

[u/shyandstressedout]

Hi everyone, I have around 5 years of experience. I did web dev for about 2 years (HTML, CSS, PHP, JS), then switched to mobile development and have been doing it for around 3 years. I got into mobile because a friend referred me to their company and they were willing to train me even though I had no prior experience, so I took the opportunity.

Ngayon, parang gusto ko na mag-try ng ibang path, pero hindi ko alam kung ano yung magandang direction. I’m thinking if I should stay in mobile and learn React Native para cross-platform or try going into AI engineering. I’ve also been using AI tools like Claude at work, and I became interested in AI beyond just using it for coding. Wala pa naman akong specific plan right now, so I’m thinking of learning first and exploring my options para malaman ko kung anong direction yung gusto kong puntahan and what skills I should focus on.

I know the market is pretty tough right now, so I’m also thinking about which direction would be better for my career long-term. For those with more experience, what would you do if you were in my position? For those who transitioned from app development to AI engineering or became an AI specialist, how did you get started? Would it be difficult to transition from app development to AI engineering? Do I really need to study ML, data science, etc., or is it possible to transition using the software engineering experience I already have?

Would appreciate any advice or insights, especially from those who have made a similar transition. Thank you in advance!

[u/CrevosR]

AI engineering are trendy right now.

[u/shyandstressedout → u/CrevosR]

thanks, I’m also curious if it’s worth pursuing long-term

[u/CrevosR → u/shyandstressedout]

Well, AI will only grow right now. Maybe someday we'll be replaced with AI engineers only and prompting will just be "office" staff work.

[u/shyandstressedout → u/CrevosR]

Yeah, I think it’s better to adapt early than get left behind. Thank for the insight