If you do show jumping, you need to be both in the actual moment but also look up to steer where you going next. Otherwise, you fail and it hurts.

As an enterprise architect, you also need to look at now, new and next simultaneously.

To be a top rider, you need to master the fundamentals, regardless of the challenges you meet in the arena. Not being an expert on one type of fence.

To master Enterprise Architecture, you need to be really good at the fundamentals, not expert on a certain type of software or AI platform.

The new is using AI as an architect to improve productivity. For this you need experience to be able to guide AI to a suitable solution, based on the complex problem you face. Holistic view, experience from many areas and knowledge of best practices are key traits.

My qualified guess on what comes next is the demise of Enterprise IT architecture roles, e.g. Ivory tower architects. The effort to manage IT architecture on enterprise level will be much lower due to use pf AI-tools. Remaining part will be stakeholder management, both business and IT.

The role in the future will probably be more of support to assure seed to bread, from initial business idea, to major change to business and IT in operation. E.g. program architect or senior delivery architect.

The skills you need then is both business and information architecture, as well as traditional application and infrastructure.

Think renaissance person. Think of being able to step into a business role as well as developing code.

Finally, you are accountable, not AI.

Disruptive architecture