The real reason I’m learning AI (even though I’m not AI Engineer)

I thought AI wasn’t for me. Of course, I was wrong

Hey there!

Let me tell you a little secret: I'm not an AI or ML engineer. Even not a data scientist. I don’t spend my days fine-tuning neural networks or building language models from scratch. I’m a software engineer. Just your regular builder of systems, wrangler of bugs, and shaper of user experiences in Big Tech.

So… why am I diving into AI concepts anyway?

Well, let me take you back a bit.

The Curiosity That Wouldn’t Quit

It started with small stuff. Back in 2023, I’d read headlines like “AI is transforming software development” or see coworkers using AI tools to write code faster. At first, I brushed it off. Cool for them, not for me, I thought.

But the curiosity stuck. And honestly? It started to feel like ignoring AI was like ignoring the internet in the '90s. I might not need to master it to do my job today, but not understanding it felt… risky. Like I was slowly falling out of sync with the direction our industry was heading.

AI Is Everywhere. Even in My Job

Even though I’m not directly building AI, I started noticing how AI was creeping into my day-to-day:

• The product I’m building? It’s starting to include AI features.

• Our department All-Hands? Increasingly about “how we can use data science/LLM approach here.”

• The tools we use? Powered by AI behind the scenes.

So I would say:

It’s not about knowing how the engine works. It’s about being able to drive the car better.

Learning Enough to Be Dangerous (In a Good Way)

I’m not trying to become a machine learning PhD overnight. But I am learning enough to:

• Understand what’s possible with AI and what’s not.

• Ask better questions when we’re integrating with “those” features.

• Spot red flags before they become real problems. I think this one is really important since it can cause both legal and ethical headaches.

To be honest, for me it’s kind of like learning front-end if you’re a back-end dev. You don’t have to be a UI wizard, but a little knowledge makes collaboration smoother—and your work stronger.

How I’m Learning (Without Burning Out)

Here’s the thing: I don’t have endless hours. So I’m keeping it simple.

• I started with short YouTube explainers.

• I signed up for one beginner-friendly online course (not five).

• I’ve been building tiny projects using AI APIs, vector databases just to see how things tick.

• And I read blog posts like this one—stories from other software engineers figuring it out as they go.

I’m not rushing. I’m learning just enough to understand how the gears turn, not to build the whole machine.

Here’s what I realized: I don’t need to wait until my job requires AI knowledge to start learning. By then, it might be too late to catch up comfortably.

I’m learning now because I want to be ready. Ready to contribute, ready to lead, and honestly—ready to stay excited about where software engineering is headed.

Until next time,
Adlet

---

🎉 We're approaching 2,000 newsletter subscribers! Thank you for your support!

You’re the real MVPs!

Loved this post? 💙 Just hit the like button below. It's a small favor from you, but it helps me grow a lot.

Stay curious!