Software Engineering Related Fields and Regulation

Hi Everyone, I have a traditional education in Chemical Engineering and Applied Mathematics. In the early 2010s, I mistakenly believed that software engineering and computer science were not "official" engineering fields like civil, electrical, mechanical, or chemical engineering. This perception stemmed from the absence of a physical component and a focus on different mathematical disciplines. For example, traditional engineering heavily relies on differential equations and classical physics, whereas software engineering emphasizes discrete mathematics, algorithms, and graph theory. Now, working in the software industry, I've come to appreciate the rigorous mathematical thinking involved. The engineering aspect manifests in designing comprehensive systems that integrate databases, backends, frontends, and more. Notably, software engineering is unique in that individuals can enter the field without a related degree. It has also given rise to highly specialized roles such as DevOps engineers, machine learning engineers, and AI engineers. Given that companies and societies are increasingly dependent on robust software engineering for mission-critical systems, is it only a matter of time before regulation is enforced? There's a clear distinction between developers working on non-critical applications, like website frontends, and those handling complex, mission-critical backends. Should there be a differentiation in standards and regulations to reflect this? There is already self-regulation in the way companies highly prefer STEM graduates for programming roles, but it's not regulated or formalized like it is for the traditional engineering fields, at least in Canada. Looking forward to your thoughts.