Watching Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t make me a doctor and using generative AI doesn’t make me a software engineer. Our work as software engineers requires critical thinking, problem solving, and empathy in a way that AI isn’t capable of. In this talk, we’ll look at generative AI as an amplifier of our work, one tool in our toolbox and how important it is to know how to use our tools. Paired with skills to decipher what’s real and what’s not, beginners can learn the craft of software engineering, those more experienced can get back to building software, and generative AI can empower our software engineering work.