A majority of my time is spent modelling the problem, gathering requirements, researching others’ solutions online (likely this step could be better AI-assisted?), not actually implementing a solution in code.
Perfectly said. The most difficult part of software engineering is all the things outside the code. Did I find all the stakeholders? Did they state all their requirements? Did I interpret those requirements properly? Do they like my UI mockup in paint? Can I convince them to take a "version 1" without some bells and whistles so that they can get it on time, and I can give them the bells and whistles in "version 2" later? Is my current design consistent with other products/tools in the organization? Do any requirements actually violate regulations (spoiler: the client is an asshole and violating regulations is the whole point)? Can I convince them to drop that requirement? How can I improve my organizations' SDLC so that the product is quicker and easier to deliver?
And the most pressing question of all: do the clients and stakeholders actually need me to write this product in the first place? Is there an existing solution that would be cheaper and quicker to just buy?
Even given all the things AI can do right now, I doubt it can handle even a fraction of all those tasks above. Let alone writing code that compiles...