I suspect AI will still take decades to catch up with the deep intelligence that you need for more complex programming. So good programmers will be far more valuable than code monkey.

If I were starting out I’d pick some combination, most likely biochemistry + AI programming / models. Like learning both biochemistry and how to program and train and research AI models that can e.g. fold proteins or synthesize some new medical molecule that could cure some illness. Medicine is still stuck in the dark ages.

Or robotics and manufacturing. All those jobs that went to China, China itself is planning to replace with robotics.

So instead of becoming a programmer, become someone that can develop and train and use AI models to solve problems in emerging fields.

Above all, focus on chances to become some kind of entrepreneur. If you’re not a shareholder you’re just a tool like an LLM to them.