Hi Tufail, hello and welcome! I’m not that well placed to advise you on which option would be a better career route but I certainly can help start you on your journey of what AI is and what it isn’t! First thing to get straight: most of what you see online about AI careers is… let’s call it optimistic. You don’t need to rush into becoming an “AI engineer” unless you genuinely want to go deep into maths, models, and building systems from scratch. With your computer science background, you’ve actually got a strong advantage. The question is how you use it. If I were you, I’d do three things: 1. Learn how these tools actually behave (not just what they can do). Spend time using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot properly. Not one-line prompts, structured thinking. Understand things like: * Why they get things wrong (hallucinations) * How context changes output * Where they’re useful vs where they fall apart That alone will put you ahead of most people. 2. Pick a lane… temporarily. Instead of “AI engineer vs clients”, try this: * Build something small (automation, tool, workflow), or * Solve real problems for people using AI (CVs, research, reporting, etc.) You’ll learn faster doing than deciding. 3. Focus on usefulness, not hype. The people winning right now aren’t the ones shouting about AI. They’re the ones that are quietly: * Saving time * Improving outputs * Making messy work clearer That’s where the real value is. If later you find yourself enjoying the technical side, go deeper into engineering. If you enjoy applying it to real-world problems, lean into client work or products. But right now? Don’t overthink it. Start using it properly, every day, on real tasks. That’s the bit most people skip, and it’s the bit that will make you valuable.