I don't want to lean into negativity here, and I'm far from an "AI Doomer".
But... I will say I think the question you ask is a very fair question, and that there is, indeed, a LOT of uncertainty about what the future holds in this regard.
So far the best reason we have for optimism is history: so far the old adage has held up that "technology does destroy some jobs, but on balance it creates more new ones than it destroys." And while that's small solace to the buggy-whip maker or steam-engine engineer, things tend to work out in the long-run. However... history is suggestive, but far from conclusive. There is the well known "problem of induction"[1] which points out that we can't make definite predictions about the future based on past experience. And when those expectations are violated, we get "black swan events"[2]. And while they be uncommon, they do happen.
The other issue with this question is, we don't really know what the "rate of change" in terms of AI improvement is. And we definitely don't know the 2nd derivative (acceleration). So a short-term guess that "there will be a job for you in 1 year's time" is probably a fairly safe guess. But as a current student, you're presumably worried about 5 years, 10 years, 20 years down the line and whether or not you'll still have a career. And the simple truth is, we can't be sure.
So what to do? My gut feeling is "continue to learn software engineering, but make sure to look for ways to broaden your skill base, and position yourself to possibly move in other directions in the future". Eg, don't focus on just becoming a skilled coder in a particular language. Learn fundamentals that apply broadly, and - more importantly - learn about how business work, learn "people skills"[3], develop domain knowledge in one or more domains, and generally learn as much as you can about "how the world works". Then from there, just "keep your head on a swivel" and stay aware of what's going on around you and be ready to make adjustments as needed.
It might not also hurt to learn a thing or two about something that requires a physical presence (welding, etc.). And just in case a full-fledged cyberpunk dystopia develops... maybe start buying an extra box or two of ammunition every now and then, and study escape and evasion techniques, yadda yadda...
But... I will say I think the question you ask is a very fair question, and that there is, indeed, a LOT of uncertainty about what the future holds in this regard.
So far the best reason we have for optimism is history: so far the old adage has held up that "technology does destroy some jobs, but on balance it creates more new ones than it destroys." And while that's small solace to the buggy-whip maker or steam-engine engineer, things tend to work out in the long-run. However... history is suggestive, but far from conclusive. There is the well known "problem of induction"[1] which points out that we can't make definite predictions about the future based on past experience. And when those expectations are violated, we get "black swan events"[2]. And while they be uncommon, they do happen.
The other issue with this question is, we don't really know what the "rate of change" in terms of AI improvement is. And we definitely don't know the 2nd derivative (acceleration). So a short-term guess that "there will be a job for you in 1 year's time" is probably a fairly safe guess. But as a current student, you're presumably worried about 5 years, 10 years, 20 years down the line and whether or not you'll still have a career. And the simple truth is, we can't be sure.
So what to do? My gut feeling is "continue to learn software engineering, but make sure to look for ways to broaden your skill base, and position yourself to possibly move in other directions in the future". Eg, don't focus on just becoming a skilled coder in a particular language. Learn fundamentals that apply broadly, and - more importantly - learn about how business work, learn "people skills"[3], develop domain knowledge in one or more domains, and generally learn as much as you can about "how the world works". Then from there, just "keep your head on a swivel" and stay aware of what's going on around you and be ready to make adjustments as needed.
It might not also hurt to learn a thing or two about something that requires a physical presence (welding, etc.). And just in case a full-fledged cyberpunk dystopia develops... maybe start buying an extra box or two of ammunition every now and then, and study escape and evasion techniques, yadda yadda...
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_induction
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory
[3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNuu9CpdjIo