AI writes most of my code at work. Am I hurting my career?
Hi everyone,
I'm a software engineer at an early-stage product startup, and the company provides Cursor AI Ultra, which I use extensively for development, debugging, and planning. Most of the implementation is AI-generated, and my job is primarily to review, understand, and refine the code.
Over the past month, I've also learned a lot about AI-assisted development—writing better prompts, optimizing token usage, creating effective rules, using plugins, and building reusable AI workflows. While these skills have improved significantly, I feel like I'm growing more as an AI-assisted developer than as a software engineer.
Outside of work, I'm studying system design, databases, and software architecture.
My biggest concern is switching jobs in the future. Most companies still assess candidates on DSA and system design. I can continue learning system design, but I'm not strong at DSA, and AI has reduced the need for me to practice coding from scratch.
Should I spend a significant amount of time on DSA, even though I rarely use it at work? In the AI era, what should an early-career software engineer focus on to become a strong engineer and stay competitive?