4 ms·

Ask HN: What are core engineering skills that will likely never be automated?

5 points by bicx 2y ago

DamonHD 2y ago
"Never" is too long a time for that to be a meaningful question. Maybe dial back the hype a bit and ask something more specific and/or numeric?
- bicx 2y ago
  Honestly I doubt anyone can really answer with true authority on any meaningful timeframe beyond the next few months. What I'm more curious about is what other professionals consider the most resistant to automation and where to focus on being the best human contributor. Sorry for not being more clear in the title (which I unfortunately can't edit).
scarface_74 2y ago
There aren’t any. Even if they aren’t automated, they will eventually become a commoditized race to the bottom where people are willing to work cheaper then you are. However, no matter what, you will always need people who can come in and see problems and opportunities to either save the company money or make the company money. Those positions are sales, solution architects, technical leads, project managers and other positions that require some combination of soft skills and hard skills. While I have no desire to go into management, I’ve spent the last decade moving closer to the stakeholder and further from hands on keyboard. Companies aren’t going to outsource or automate the high touch parts of the job.
grajaganDev 2y ago
Finding security vulnerabilities like HTTP Request Smuggling, race conditions and logic errors.
- bicx 2y ago
  Why do you consider these something that can't be automatically detected?
  - grajaganDev 2y ago
    Because they are very difficult for security engineers to detect. I think that Security Engineering is a relatively safe career, unlikely to be fully automated anytime soon.
WheelsAtLarge 2y ago
In the past, we've seen that machines will always need someone to make sure they are running. People who upgrade them, replace broken parts, and make sure the power cord is connected. So that will continue to be for the foreseeable future. What can't be automated is the ability to look around and see what humans need and solve the need. Look at every entrepreneur and you'll see that's what they are doing with their companies. There will always be a need for that.
RGamma 2y ago
I think it's looking pretty grim for all derivative intellectual activity, with increasing hurdles for what counts as non-derivative. Entrepreneurial activity is not special in this regard. Interacting in and with the physical world is still largely unsolved, so this will remain for longer.
sn9 2y ago
Liability.

5 points by bicx 2y ago

"Never" is too long a time for that to be a meaningful question. Maybe dial back the hype a bit and ask something more specific and/or numeric?

bicx 2y ago
Honestly I doubt anyone can really answer with true authority on any meaningful timeframe beyond the next few months. What I'm more curious about is what other professionals consider the most resistant to automation and where to focus on being the best human contributor. Sorry for not being more clear in the title (which I unfortunately can't edit).

scarface_74 2y ago

There aren’t any. Even if they aren’t automated, they will eventually become a commoditized race to the bottom where people are willing to work cheaper then you are. However, no matter what, you will always need people who can come in and see problems and opportunities to either save the company money or make the company money. Those positions are sales, solution architects, technical leads, project managers and other positions that require some combination of soft skills and hard skills. While I have no desire to go into management, I’ve spent the last decade moving closer to the stakeholder and further from hands on keyboard. Companies aren’t going to outsource or automate the high touch parts of the job.

grajaganDev 2y ago

Finding security vulnerabilities like HTTP Request Smuggling, race conditions and logic errors.

bicx 2y ago
Why do you consider these something that can't be automatically detected?
- grajaganDev 2y ago
  Because they are very difficult for security engineers to detect. I think that Security Engineering is a relatively safe career, unlikely to be fully automated anytime soon.

WheelsAtLarge 2y ago

In the past, we've seen that machines will always need someone to make sure they are running. People who upgrade them, replace broken parts, and make sure the power cord is connected. So that will continue to be for the foreseeable future. What can't be automated is the ability to look around and see what humans need and solve the need. Look at every entrepreneur and you'll see that's what they are doing with their companies. There will always be a need for that.

RGamma 2y ago

I think it's looking pretty grim for all derivative intellectual activity, with increasing hurdles for what counts as non-derivative. Entrepreneurial activity is not special in this regard. Interacting in and with the physical world is still largely unsolved, so this will remain for longer.

sn9 2y ago

Liability.