LeetCode in 2026: The Skill Nobody Respects (But Everyone Still Needs)

Let me say something that will probably annoy both sides. Yes, AI can solve most LeetCode problems instantly. And yes, I’m still practicing them. Not because I enjoy pain. Not because I love red/green submission screens. But because I’m starting to realize something uncomfortable: We are slowly losing our ability to think without assistance. And that scares me more than AI ever did. “Why Are You Still Grinding LeetCode? Just Ask GPT.” I hear this constantly. “Bro, interviews are outdated.” “Bro, real work isn’t binary trees.” “Bro, just use AI.” Sure. AI can give you a perfect DFS in seconds. It can generate a dynamic programming solution cleaner than yours. It can explain time complexity better than your college professor. But here’s the real question: If the AI disappeared tomorrow… Would you still know what’s happening? Or would you just be staring at your own code like it’s written in hieroglyphics? The Layoffs Changed Everything Let’s not pretend the last two years didn’t shift th