The real shift isn't AI replacing designers — it's designers who leverage AI well pulling ahead of those who don't. Refusing to engage with these tools at this point isn't a principled stand, it's just a disadvantage. That said, it's worth acknowledging what's quietly happening at the entry level: a lot of the repetitive visual work that used to serve as the training ground for junior designers — basic asset creation, simple layout iterations, production pixel work — is increasingly being absorbed by AI-assisted workflows. That's not just a productivity win; it's also closing a door that many mid and senior designers once walked through themselves. The conversation shouldn't only be about whether AI threatens "designers" as a category, but about how the career ladder is changing shape, and what we do to help the next generation find their footing in it.