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Published on 04.02.2026
TLDR: Grady Booch argues we're in the third golden age of software engineering, where AI represents another rise in abstraction rather than the end of our profession. The shift is from programs and apps to systems, and engineers who understand complexity at scale will thrive.
What's missing here? I'd push back a bit on the optimism. Grady doesn't fully address the economic incentives companies have to replace expensive engineers with cheaper AI tools, regardless of whether the AI is truly capable. He also glosses over what happens to junior engineers who traditionally learned by doing the "low-hanging fruit" work that's now being automated. If entry-level positions evaporate, how does anyone build those deep foundations he emphasizes? The Society of Mind by Minsky is a great recommendation, but reading about architecture isn't the same as building systems for years.
The third golden age of software engineering – thanks to AI, with Grady Booch