Engineers across the globe are asking the same question: will code review vanish when AI writes every line? A flood of letters from strangers—frontend, data ops, and hybrid roles—spoke this concern. The author answered that within a year or two, AI will hand over most coding tasks, forcing humans into oversight roles.

History echoes the Spinning Jenny story: a single machine replaced dozens of hand‑spinners, then its skilled operators fell victim to newer tools. The author warns that mastering AI offers only a brief edge; each new model shortens the window for expertise. The Meituan layoffs illustrate how fast roles shift when automation rises at the moment.

Today, the bottleneck has migrated from machines to humans. Developers now produce code via AI, then review it. This gatekeeping role demands constant vigilance, yet verification costs remain unchanged. As output scales, quality can slip unless standards stay tight. Thus, the real challenge is preserving code integrity while embracing AI’s speed in the modern ecosystem.

These reflections underline a shift: engineers must evolve from builders to curators. The author’s essay argues that once intent translates directly into executable code, the interim steps vanish. Until then, developers will juggle creation and scrutiny, balancing speed against reliability. The takeaway is clear—human judgment remains essential amid AI’s rapid ascent for the future software.