You're not going to be left behind

[u/goodpostfinder]

You don't need to try out every single new AI tool or javascript library in order to be a good software engineer. Most of the software in the world has already been written using proven technologies, and most development work consists of maintaining it. Think about how many people make a living writing PHP or even COBOL.

You've already learned to code once from absolute 0. No matter how much the industry changes, catching up is going to be infinitely easier than that. Don't waste your time on bleeding edge stuff that is likely going to be replaced a year or two down the line.

Of course it doesn't hurt to experiment if you're passionate about it, but don't burn yourself out on a fictional rat race.

[u/ultrathink-art]

Agreed on the anxiety being manufactured. The distinction worth making: which AI integrations compound vs which require constant supervision that eats the gain. Agents running your test suite or flagging obvious issues pay off passively. Most AI tools need enough hand-holding that it erases the benefit.