IT Grad Reveals What AI Engineers Actually Build in 2026

Maddy Zhang went from MIT to Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, and now she's breaking down exactly what it takes to become an AI engineer in 2026.

We covered her honest take on MIT vs the Bay Area, why she solved 400 LeetCodes, the email filter that almost cost her a Microsoft internship, why she thinks chasing money kills your career, and what AI engineers should actually be building right now (hint: not another GPT wrapper).

If you're a student, engineer, or anyone trying to break into AI in 2026, this one's for you.