Your Desk Job May Soon Vanish, Warns This AI Engineer

What happens when the very tool meant to help us work better ends up replacing us entirely? One software engineer’s story offers a sobering glimpse into a future many thought was still decades away.

When the Screen Becomes Your Worst Enemy

Not long ago, knowing how to code or crunch data from behind a screen was seen as the golden ticket to job security. Careers flourished, salaries soared, and digital skills became essential. But if you ask Shawn K—a once well-paid software engineer now living out of a caravan—he’d tell you those days might be numbered.

His journey from a six-figure salary to delivery gigs is more than just a personal tale of career misfortune. It’s a wake-up call. After his company pivoted sharply to integrate AI features into its software, Shawn was swiftly let go. One moment, he was leading projects; the next, he was sending out job applications—nearly 800 of them, with fewer than ten replies.

It’s not just his story that raises eyebrows—it’s what it represents: the beginning of a deeper shift in how work is valued in the age of artificial intelligence.

AI Isn’t Stealing Jobs—Companies Are Letting Them Go

While AI capabilities continue to impress—fast content generation, complex data analysis in seconds—it’s easy to believe it’s simply outperforming humans. But the truth is less about performance and more about the bottom line.

Take Shawn again. His annual paycheck of over $150,000 didn’t vanish because a chatbot wrote better code. It disappeared because, in a time of economic pressure, AI became the cheaper bet. As Ed Zitron points out, much of this shift is being driven not by technical excellence but by Wall Street pressure to cut costs and grow margins.

In short, many companies aren’t replacing people with AI because it’s better. They’re doing it because it’s cheaper.

The Vanishing Point for Screen-Based Jobs?

Shawn’s bleak prediction? Anyone who spends their day behind a screen is at risk. Whether you’re writing, coding, planning, analysing, or designing—if it can be digitised, it can be automated.

And while that may sound dramatic, it’s not entirely far-fetched. Even highly skilled professionals are finding it tough to compete with the promise of near-instant results from AI tools, even when those results fall short. Shawn’s experience is becoming a cautionary tale, especially as more companies restructure with AI at the core, not the edges.

So… Is It Game Over or Just a New Game?

It’s tempting to see this as a doomsday scenario. But maybe it’s not about disappearing—it’s about adapting. Those who learn how to work with AI, to guide it, to edit it, to train it—may end up in stronger positions than those who ignore it.

Shawn’s story is stark, but it’s also a call to action. If you work behind a screen, it might be time to rethink your role—not as a competitor to AI, but as someone who can collaborate with it.

Because let’s face it: the bots are here. The only question is, will you work with them—or be replaced by them?