I like the architecture analogy. An architect is not really focused on doing the actual building of a design, but understanding what's possible, what tools and techniques and materials are available, and figuring out how to put the pieces together to make a thing.
Right now, you're the architect who designs a house, but you're also the cement mixer, framer, drywall installer, plumber, electrician, and so on, all at once.
In this analogy, it's hard to design anything big like a skyscraper if you're bogged down by all of the minutia like picking out what type of nails to use for the framing and then installing them.
I think going forward, AI is going to do a lot of the non-architecture part of software engineering. We will all become architects.
The difference between us will be the scope of what we're qualified to design as we go through our careers - new grads will cut their teeth on the likes of designing shacks, principals design skyscrapers.
I think this also unfortunately means there's gonna be a lot less people in software. The industry will still exist though, but it's going to look way different.
I look forward to this being settled out, the uncertainty sucks.