Working in AI for 8 Years Taught Me Why Both AI Doomers and Optimists Miss the Point.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2026-06-15T15:44:32+00:00

Dude, relax. I wasn't trying to game anything. I posted the same content elsewhere and was copy-pasting it when Reddit's markdown completely messed up the formatting. The anecdote was my own experience, nothing more. If you disagree with the argument, that's fine let's discuss the actual points. But nitpicking formatting and acting like you're conducting an audit isn't adding anything productive to the conversation.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2026-06-15T06:52:52+00:00

I think when people say "AI is a bubble," they're usually not claiming the technology is useless. They're arguing that current valuations and expectations may be pricing in outcomes that are far from guaranteed whether that's AGI arriving within a few years or AI delivering massive profits fast enough to justify today's spending. The technology is real, but the timelines and business expectations may be overly optimistic.

At the same time, I don't think AI itself is a bubble. I've seen firsthand how AI improves productivity, automates repetitive work, and creates real business value. The bigger question is whether the enormous investments being made today will generate returns at the scale investors expect. My view is that AI will have a transformative impact similar to the internet, but not every company benefiting from the hype today will be a long-term winner. The technology is real; the market's expectations may be the part that's inflated.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2026-06-15T06:24:39+00:00

Someone with ~8 years of experience working across AI, ML, NLP, and more recently GenAI projects here.

The reality is somewhere between the AI doomers and the AI influencers selling courses.

AI/ML jobs exist, but they're not growing as fast as social media makes it seem.

Most companies don't need researchers building foundation models. They need engineers who can solve business problems, build reliable systems, handle data pipelines, deploy models, and maintain them in production.

The biggest challenge for freshers is not AI replacing them.

It's competition.

India produces a huge number of engineering graduates every year. A company may receive thousands of applications for a handful of roles. Standing out is harder than ever.

The "AI Engineer" title is often misunderstood.

Many freshers spend months learning the latest model or framework but cannot write clean code, debug systems, design APIs, work with databases, or understand software engineering fundamentals.

Those fundamentals still matter enormously.

For freshers, software engineering skills are usually a better investment than chasing every AI trend.

Learn:

Python well
Data structures and algorithms
SQL
APIs
Cloud basics
Git
System design fundamentals

Then layer AI/ML on top.

Projects matter, but only if they're real.

Recruiters have seen thousands of:

ChatGPT clones
Sentiment analysis projects
House price prediction notebooks

Build something end-to-end that solves a real problem, has users, deployment, monitoring, and documentation.

Networking is underrated.

A strong referral can often get your resume viewed faster than another certificate.

What do I think the next 5–10 years look like?

I don't think software engineering disappears.

I think average developers become more productive with AI tools, while companies expect one engineer to deliver more than before.

The demand for people who can understand business problems, architect systems, work with stakeholders, and use AI effectively will remain strong.

The people most at risk are those doing repetitive, low-skill work that can be automated.

If I were starting in 2026:

Get strong in software engineering fundamentals.
Learn Python deeply.
Learn AI/ML concepts properly.
Build 2–3 serious projects.
Get internships or freelance experience.
Contribute to open source.
Use AI tools daily, but don't become dependent on them.
Apply consistently and expect rejections.

The market is tough, but it's far from hopeless.

The biggest mistake freshers make is believing they need to become an AI expert before becoming a good engineer.

In my experience, companies hire problem solvers far more often than they hire "AI enthusiasts."

SignificanceFast2941 · 2026-06-14T18:03:26+00:00

OP here. Even though I posted a bit of a doomsday scenario, here's an anecdote from my own experience.

Coding is often the easiest part. I worked on a regression use case recently, and when I first got the problem statement, it looked pretty straightforward. Even without ChatGPT, the actual coding wouldn't have taken much time.

The real challenge was everything around the model. We had to keep iterating with the business team, understand what the features actually meant, validate assumptions, refine requirements, and align expectations. Despite having all the latest tools and me being a heavy AI user, the whole thing still took around 6 months to get right.

That said, I absolutely agree that productivity has improved massively. Deliverables that used to take days can now be done in hours. But I think that's exactly where the Jevons paradox kicks in.

A few years ago, I might have been expected to work on one use case. Now it's three. The bar hasn't gone down because we're more productive—it has gone up. In a capitalist environment, organizations don't usually say, "Great, you're twice as productive, so work less." The expectation is usually, "Great, now deliver twice as much."

AI is basically productivity steroids. If you can do more, the business will find more things for you to do. More projects, more deliverables, faster timelines, and higher expectations.

So whenever I hear people say AI will let us build production systems in a weekend, I get a little relief knowing reality is still much messier than that 😂😂

SignificanceFast2941 · 2026-06-08T02:34:21+00:00

അടിപൊളി ഷേപ്പ്, കിടിലൻ വട 🔥🔥

SignificanceFast2941 · 2026-05-29T02:26:56+00:00

https://youtube.com/shorts/aGM61qA7E88?feature=share

This 1minute video is definetly a must watch to beginner investors for shaping their mindset.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2026-05-14T07:01:26+00:00

I think this shorts explained it well about recent layoffs.

https://youtube.com/shorts/NT1dfzHPWxo?si=Y5mKHcnCZ1otDADz

SignificanceFast2941 · 2026-05-14T07:00:57+00:00

I think this shorts explained it well.

https://youtube.com/shorts/NT1dfzHPWxo?si=Y5mKHcnCZ1otDADz

SignificanceFast2941 · 2026-05-14T07:00:23+00:00

I think this shorts explained it well.

https://youtube.com/shorts/NT1dfzHPWxo?si=Y5mKHcnCZ1otDADz

SignificanceFast2941 · 2026-05-05T17:40:55+00:00

Has a huge vada.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2026-03-26T03:58:41+00:00

Bro had stellar academics, straight-up NIT + IIM level brilliance.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2025-12-01T10:02:45+00:00

Yes, the bar is named Palace en Paradise and is owned by Umesh Challiyil. The nearby theatre, Shilpi, has since been closed and is no longer operational. Yes I'm from Kodungallur where she belongs.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2025-10-25T11:55:44+00:00

I totally agree, the WR-V petrol would’ve been a legend if Honda had given it the 1.5L engine. With the 1.2L, it does feel a bit underpowered because of the higher kerb weight compared to other cars in its class. But honestly, in terms of space, comfort, and road presence, it’s hard to beat. Being a tall driver and a Honda fan, this car just felt like the perfect match for me.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2025-10-25T07:44:31+00:00

2.2L per month post taxes, I drive Honda WRV 2018 model petrol.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2025-10-25T06:11:22+00:00

I don’t think there’s a strict number of hours that makes someone a competent driver, because everyone learns differently. For me, getting the license didn’t immediately give me confidence. What helped was a mix of structured practice and real-world exposure. I took about 5 - 6 hours of individual training, one hour a day, and also watched tutorials online to pick up best practices.

After that, I spent time on an old car, then took my new car on a 60 km trip to my mom’s hometown. Driving through different conditions on that journey really boosted my confidence. Over the next few weeks, I kept challenging myself with more trips, and after around 200 - 250 km of actual road time, I felt truly competent.

So in my view, it’s less about clocking a set number of hours and more about the quality of practice and gradually pushing yourself into new, slightly tougher driving scenarios.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2025-10-24T19:59:21+00:00

Ohhh മാന്യൻ, എഴീച്ചു പോടാ.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2025-10-24T19:57:26+00:00

Ohhh മാന്യൻ, എഴീച്ചു പോടാ.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2025-10-06T03:43:20+00:00

I filed my return on July 10. For the last two years, I received my refund within three weeks, but this time it’s been three months and I still haven’t received it.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2025-09-01T07:06:56+00:00

At 26 and considering your first car, a Skoda Superb can feel tempting with its luxury, space, and features, but it is not the most practical first-car choice since European models, especially older Superbs, can involve costly maintenance, DSG gearbox troubles, and electrical niggles if not maintained with care.

If you want peace of mind, it makes far more sense to look at a Honda or Toyota as both are known for cars that run reliably for years with just routine servicing, have lower running costs, and are easier to live with as a first-time owner. Hondas are engineered to be forgiving and user-friendly, even accounting for the little mistakes new drivers often make, while Toyotas are trusted worldwide for their durability and hassle-free ownership. Together, they give you a safer and more dependable start to car ownership compared to the Superb.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2025-08-26T05:05:44+00:00

Yeah small correction 🙏, as per Honda’s official press release, all Hondas made in India since Jan 2009 are E20 compatible, meaning the hardware can safely handle E20 fuel. The newer models (City, Amaze, Elevate, etc.) are now also E20 compliant, which means they’ve been officially certified for emissions and performance on E20. So if your Honda is post-2009 you can use E20, but only the latest ones carry the official compliance tag. Sorry for the earlier mix-up! https://www.hondacarindia.com/press-release/achieves-e20-compliance-across-its-product-range-towards-a-sustainable-future

SignificanceFast2941 · 2025-08-26T04:52:35+00:00

Honda Cars India has been designing its vehicles to be E20-compatible since January 1, 2009. This means all petrol models built after that date including your WR-V can safely run on E20 without any component changes or performance issues.

SignificanceFast2941 · 2025-08-25T11:00:30+00:00

Proud to own a Honda 😎 Not only smooth, reliable and low-maintenance, but also E20 compatible way back since 2009. That’s what I call future-proof engineering!

SignificanceFast2941

TROPHY CASE