One of my juniors came to me yesterday and asked a simple question. “Do we still need to learn DSA in this AI era?” He expected a yes or no. But the answer needed more than that. Here is what I told him. Yes — you should still learn DSA. And no — you do not need it for the same reasons as before. AI can generate code. AI can optimize solutions. AI can solve problems faster than most engineers. But AI cannot replace the core skill that DSA builds. Your ability to think clearly. → DSA trains you to break problems into steps. → DSA trains you to pick the right approach instead of guessing. → DSA trains you to understand tradeoffs before you commit. These skills become more valuable when AI is everywhere. Because now everyone has the same tools. The difference is how well you understand what you are doing. But I also told him this. You do not need to grind DSA for months. You do not need to memorize every variation of every tree or graph. You do not need to torture yourself with 500 LeetCode questions. The goal is not perfection. The goal is competence. Learn enough DSA so you can read AI-generated code with confidence. Learn enough so you can spot when AI takes a wrong turn. Learn enough so you can design systems that scale. In this era, DSA is not about passing interviews anymore. It is about expanding your thinking. Tools evolve every year. Thinkers do not. #AI #DSA #SoftwareEngineering #CareerAdvic