The Year I Realized It's Not That We Lack Engineers, But That We Lack AI
2025: A Year Spent with Generative AI
This past year was one where I spent more time than ever using generative AI to write text, build programs, and design systems.
It certainly became more convenient. It became faster.
There is no doubt about that.
But when I looked back at the end of the year, what remained in my heart was a slightly different feeling.
“There is still so much to do.”
But that wasn't impatience;
rather,it was closer to a quiet excitement.
A Sense of Discomfort with the Phrase “We Lack Engineers”
Whether in development or in learning environments,
there is a phrase I hear often.
We lack engineers. We lack time. We lack the necessary skills.
I used to think of that as
“a reason why I need to work harder.”
But as I spent more time working with generative AI,
a certain sense of discomfort began to emerge.
Is it really “people” that we lack?
Trying to Think “We Lack AI”
At one point, I tried shifting my perspective slightly.
“It’s not that ‘I am lacking,’ but rather
there is simply no AI here?”
The moment I thought that, the world I saw changed completely.
For example, here is how the perspective changed:
Research is difficult → There is no AI to research
Summarizing is exhausting → There is no AI to organize
I can't remember the past → There is no AI to assist with memory
The problem might not have been a 'lack of ability,' but simply that
no one was sitting in the necessary intellectual roles.
AI is not something to 'use,' but something to 'deploy.'
After using AI extensively, I finally realized something.
AI is not just a convenient tool.
Writing AI
Researching AI
Organizing AI
Reminding AI
Each has a role, and where you 'deploy' them completely changes their value.
It is just like building a human team.
Rather than 'how to use them,' it's 'where to have them sit.'
The moment I shifted my thinking,
the things I needed to do actually increased.
But that wasn't a painful kind of increase.
'There is still work to do' is a sign of hope.
Since I started thinking that 'we lack AI,'
things not yet done = failure changed to
things not yet done = areas for expansion
—that is how my perspective changed.
There are still AIs to be nurtured.
An AI that remembers knowledge like a librarian can still be nurtured.
An AI that organizes thoughts can be entrusted with more.
Designing connections between AIs is just getting started
It's not about reaching a limit anymore, but rather
a sense of 'still expanding'that feeling.
That is what supports me right now.
Looking toward 2026
Next year, what I want to do is not
to build faster, or
to become smarter.
Giving AI a 'role'
Integrating AI into organizations and thought processes
Having people focus on 'judgment' and 'assigning meaning'
I want to build that kind of relationship, little by little.
If there is anyone feeling lost right now
Those tired from being busy
Those feeling anxious about their own growth
Those who are using generative AI but feel worn out somehow
If you are one of those people, please try asking yourself this:
'Is it really that you are lacking?'
'Or is it just that there is no AI there?'
Conclusion
In 2025, I built many things.
But looking back, this is surely the greatest harvest.
Being able to think, 'We lack AI.'
There seems to be plenty left to do in 2026 as well.
But that is surely a good sign.