Debate: AI v. Generalist
In the long run, is it better for a software engineer to specialize in AI or be a generalist? In other words, will most engineering jobs of the future be high tech or low tech?
This is very true. My "specialty" came about my accident because I kind of enjoyed it in a perverse way, and nobody else wanted to do it. Along the way I've done a bunch of unrelated stuff, which I also enjoyed. If you focus on what you enjoy that other people find hard or annoying, that's a good path.
Iāve thought about this too. I think there are more career options for a good generalist than a specialist, and in most cases the pay will be the same. I chose the path of least career risk and most versatility.
The pros of specialization are higher potential TC and more ability to call your own shots. The downside is a smaller pool of employers and the possibility of that field cooling off in the future. A generalist may not be able to command as high a TC but has the advantage of a wider pool of employers to choose from and easier time transitioning from company to company.
Letās say you worked in AI for the next four years and became a āspecialistā. In your research, you find out that you can (hypothetically) speed up your work through GPU processing. Only the firmware on your card isnāt optimized for it. So you learn a bit about GPU firmware, and two months in your GPU is running your workloads 10x faster. Are you still an AI specialist at that point? Are you a generalist? What Iām trying to say is donāt put yourself in a box just because others want to. Thereās no need to worry about it. Just keep an open mind, do what makes you happy, and the money will follow.
AI techniques will come and go, but you'll always need infrastructure. I work on AI-related infrastructure, which I find is a good fit for me. In the end, whatever you are good at is probably the best fit for you.
This^. You need to be a good sales person of what you do and you will be fineš