iStock; Rebecca Zisser/BIArtificial intelligence is now the top priority for major tech firms.Software engineers know they need to do more than just code to stay relevant in the AI era.But the way forward isn't to push back against AI — it's to embrace it, they tell BI.Software engineers know that the days of simply being able to code are behind them.After all, artificial intelligence taking over jobs is not new — numerous tech giants over the past two years announced that they were axing jobs to focus more on artificial intelligence development.Last year, Google slashed 12,000 jobs — 6% of its then workforce — as the company began shifting its priorities toward AI.In May 2023, IBM announced that it would pause hiring for roles that could be replaced by AI.