AI isn't magic. It's more like a magic wand.

I haven't posted on LinkedIn in a long time. To be honest, I never found the time. But with the buzz around AI in engineering, I wanted to share some things I've learned over the past couple of years.

Let's start with the most obvious point: how AI is helping those of us who love hands-on coding.

When AI first became part of our workflow, it felt like we'd found a cheat code. But I soon realised that while AI does speed things up, it doesn't replace the thinking, logic, or curiosity behind good engineering.

The magic wand analogy

If you're a Potterhead like me, you know the wand never worked miracles by itself. It only worked for the wizard who knew how to use it. AI is exactly the same — it can't do anything special on its own. It needs skilled people who know how and when to wield it.

I often hear people say, “AI will take your job.” I don't fully agree. Yes, it might — but mostly for people who stop learning and adapting. For everyone else, AI can actually be your best friend:

• Solve problems faster
• Improve the quality of your engineering decisions
• Turn prototypes into real features more quickly
• Test and develop ideas at speed

“AI doesn't make the average great.
AI makes the great unstoppable.”

So if there's one thing I've learned in the past few years, it's this: don't fear AI — just learn to wield it.