Software engineering is undergoing an AI revolution, but the job isn't disappearing—it's changing. At Criteo, engineers still rely on AI agents for productivity, but must maintain control. The real fear isn't extinction of Software Engineers, but the rise of "forever Juniors"—engineers who only review agent-generated code without developing deeper skills.
The author argues that learning syntax is obsolete; instead, Senior engineers must defend designs, judge agent direction, delegate wisely, and teach others. To grow, the author created a skill.md file to guide their AI mentor, but realized the gap was in their own behavior. They began using Socratic questioning—asking the agent to test understanding through explanations, predictions, and failure-mode walks.
This human skill, not just technical knowledge, is what separates Juniors from Seniors in an agentic world.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing