I think a lot of developers are feeling two things at the same time right now:

more powerful
and more replaceable

AI coding tools are spreading fast across teams, and some reports say a majority of code at many companies is now AI-generated or AI-assisted. At the same time, companies are cutting jobs and pushing harder on AI adoption, which makes the whole thing feel less like a trend and more like pressure.

That’s the part people don’t say out loud enough.

Yes, AI helps.
Yes, it saves time.
Yes, it can make you faster.

But it can also make you question yourself.

Did I solve that?
Or did I just assemble it well?
Am I growing?
Or just keeping up?
Am I becoming more valuable?
Or easier to compare?

And I think that’s why AI feels so emotionally complicated for developers.

It helps you move faster.
But it also quietly raises the bar for what “normal” speed looks like.

So here’s the honest question:

Has AI made you a better developer or just a more efficient one with new insecurities?