As artificial intelligence reshapes the modern workforce, especially in tech, many professionals are finding themselves reevaluating their roles and long-term paths. What was once seen as a secure, high-growth industry is now facing widespread automation, job cuts, and a shift in how work gets done.
According to Business Insider, one such case is that of Tabby Toney, a former software engineer from Oklahoma, who left behind a successful tech career to pursue welding—a decision rooted not in impulse, but in clarity about the direction the industry is heading. Toney didn’t enter tech with a traditional background. She followed a friend into the field, starting with manual software testing despite lacking formal experience. Her curiosity and drive led her to self-study, take virtual courses, and gradually work her way into fullstack development. She went on to hold roles at several companies, including SumerSports, Clevyr, and Tailwind, where she contributed to backend APIs, frontend features, quality assurance, and mentoring junior developers.
Over the years, she came to appreciate the creativity and problem-solving that tech offered—until those aspects began to fade.
Why She Chose to Walk Away
By mid-2025, the excitement Toney once felt for her work had diminished. Artificial intelligence was taking over many of the tasks she enjoyed most. As coding became more automated, she felt less connected to her role. When she was laid off in May, she had already been preparing for such an outcome. Rather than pursue another tech job, she decided to shift to welding—a skill she first learned in high school and associated with childhood memories in her grandfather’s garage. Welding, she says, offers the hands-on challenge and tangible results that her work in tech had gradually lost. Formal training begins for her in August, and she has no plans to return to software.
Impact of AI on Tech Careers
Toney’s decision comes amid a larger shift in the technology landscape. According to Bloomberg, artificial intelligence now generates roughly 35% of code for new software products. This surge in automation has not only accelerated product development but also reduced the need for many engineering roles.
The result has been widespread restructuring. In the January–March 2025 quarter alone, the tech sector led all industries in job cuts. Microsoft announced layoffs affecting nearly 4% of its workforce, following a previous round that eliminated around 6,000 jobs.
As companies double down on AI infrastructure and streamline human roles, more professionals may find themselves at a crossroads. Toney’s move from software engineering to welding may seem unconventional, but it shows a deeper reality: when the nature of work changes, so do the choices people make to find purpose and stability.
According to Business Insider, one such case is that of Tabby Toney, a former software engineer from Oklahoma, who left behind a successful tech career to pursue welding—a decision rooted not in impulse, but in clarity about the direction the industry is heading. Toney didn’t enter tech with a traditional background. She followed a friend into the field, starting with manual software testing despite lacking formal experience. Her curiosity and drive led her to self-study, take virtual courses, and gradually work her way into fullstack development. She went on to hold roles at several companies, including SumerSports, Clevyr, and Tailwind, where she contributed to backend APIs, frontend features, quality assurance, and mentoring junior developers.
Over the years, she came to appreciate the creativity and problem-solving that tech offered—until those aspects began to fade.
Why She Chose to Walk Away
By mid-2025, the excitement Toney once felt for her work had diminished. Artificial intelligence was taking over many of the tasks she enjoyed most. As coding became more automated, she felt less connected to her role. When she was laid off in May, she had already been preparing for such an outcome. Rather than pursue another tech job, she decided to shift to welding—a skill she first learned in high school and associated with childhood memories in her grandfather’s garage. Welding, she says, offers the hands-on challenge and tangible results that her work in tech had gradually lost. Formal training begins for her in August, and she has no plans to return to software.
Impact of AI on Tech Careers
Toney’s decision comes amid a larger shift in the technology landscape. According to Bloomberg, artificial intelligence now generates roughly 35% of code for new software products. This surge in automation has not only accelerated product development but also reduced the need for many engineering roles.
The result has been widespread restructuring. In the January–March 2025 quarter alone, the tech sector led all industries in job cuts. Microsoft announced layoffs affecting nearly 4% of its workforce, following a previous round that eliminated around 6,000 jobs.
As companies double down on AI infrastructure and streamline human roles, more professionals may find themselves at a crossroads. Toney’s move from software engineering to welding may seem unconventional, but it shows a deeper reality: when the nature of work changes, so do the choices people make to find purpose and stability.
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