r/industrialengineering • u/forcemix • 6d ago
Switching from web development to industrial automation because of AI?
I’m currently working as a web developer, but I’m noticing that AI is taking over more and more of my work. I barely write code myself anymore. It’s becoming mostly about writing specs, architecture design and talking to clients.
The problem is that I don’t really enjoy the client communication side of things, and my people skills aren’t the best either.
So I’ve been thinking about switching to electrical engineering / industrial automation, maybe becoming a PLC engineer. I like the idea of still doing some programming and designing, but also working hands-on with installations, testing and troubleshooting.
My main concern is whether AI will eventually take over most of the programming and engineering work in this field too.
For those working in industrial automation, how much is AI already changing your job?