How to transition from Business Intelligence Engineer to a Software Development Engineer working in AI?

Hi Team,

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and seek your advice as I plan my next career move.

I currently have four years of experience as a Business Intelligence Engineer (BIE) at XXX. In this role, I’ve mainly worked with Python, maintained data engineering pipelines, and used tools like Amazon Redshift and Spark. I’ve also implemented simple machine learning algorithms—nothing too advanced like deep learning, but enough to get a solid grounding in the field.

Now, I’m looking to transition into a Software Development Engineer (SDE) role. With about six months to upskill, I’m both excited and a bit anxious—especially with the rapid rise of AI automation and generative AI agents in the industry

I’d really appreciate your perspective on a couple of options I’m considering:

• Leveraging AI for Productivity: With AI becoming more widely used, it seems essential for SDEs to be in the top 25% of their team by using AI tools to boost productivity. Is this something you see happening in your experience, and how can I best prepare for it?
• Upskilling in Generative AI: Since I have a basic understanding of ML, I was thinking of exploring generative AI. I’m considering courses like Udacity’s offerings and “Generative AI for All” from DeepLearning.ai on Coursera. Do you think this would be a valuable path for someone in my position?

Your insights would mean a lot as I navigate this transition. Thank you so much for your time and guidance.