Inc42 Summit: AI Necessitates Systems Thinking for Engineers

Engineering education needs to shift focus from solely writing code to understanding entire software systems, a critical adjustment in the age of AI, according to discussions at Inc42's 'The CTO Summit 2026'. The summit highlighted the increasing necessity for engineers to develop skills in systems design, logical thinking, and philosophy to navigate AI-driven development.

A panel featuring industry leaders like Arvind Heda (CTO, Naukri.com), Vishwanath Ramarao (Cofounder & CPTO, Acko), and Ashok Hariharan (CEO, IDfy) explored how AI is altering engineering roles and team structures. As automation takes over routine coding and QA tasks, the emphasis is moving towards the design and management of complex systems.

Ashok Hariharan raised concerns about how engineers will develop expertise in system design and management if they spend less time building systems. He warned that AI-assisted development could amplify existing code quality issues if engineers become overly reliant on tools, potentially leading to a shortage of mid-level engineers and widening the gap between senior architects and junior developers. The challenge lies in teaching systems design to those who may not code daily.

The summit also addressed the growing demands of testing, with Ramkumar Venkatesan, CTO of Cashfree Payments, noting that their spending on virtual testing environments now exceeds investments in AI tools. Hariharan stressed that the rise of AI-generated code necessitates architects who understand deployment, security, and scalability, cautioning about potential future security vulnerabilities.