40 years of writing code. I didn't see the end coming
So I started programming when 'the cloud' was something about the weather and code was shipped on floppy disks. For over 4 decades I've loved writing every line of code. But now, AI writes most of the code. The advantages of course are many, not the least of which is that I'm able to build and maintain multiple products at once. But instead of coding, I've turned into a full time reviewer instead. Spending the day reading, questioning and correcting AI is tiring in it's own specific way. Worst of all, I no longer enjoy the satisfaction of solving hard problems on my own anymore. For those of you in the same boat, what's your feeling? Has AI given you back your time? Or has it taken something away that you loved?
Discussion Highlights (9 comments)
svennek
I think it has move the balance between two things that I love on top of increasing something I don't love that much. I love(d) to figure out hard code and write it, but I also loved the creative process of searching the solution space and deciding (and optimizing) what to build. I do not in general like to review code that much, which, granted, has grown. But I feel that for me, all the former (figure out hard code and write it) has mostly split into the other two (in lack of better word) "solution design" and reviewing. And also I feel that the endless supply of crappy yolo code for personal project is thrilling. Professionally I watch some code like a hawk and some is yolo, based on a concrete per "job" risk assessment. And for context, I have administered unixy systems and written software for pay since 1999.
stefanos82
Professionally speaking, at least for me, it's not worth it anymore. But personally? I won't stop using technology and I do my best to avoid AI as much as possible. I like exercising my mind, to develop new ways of thinking and above all, cultivate critical thinking! If there's no critical thinking, there's no creativity, no arts, no nothing!
scottmas
Whether it was our career aspiration or not, we’ve turned into middle managers now
k310
Look back at how interpreted languages sped the development cycle, and empowered home users to write working stuff in Basic and Hypercard. Professional work made a leap out of these, but sysadmin people relied on scripting languages to get things done, often in perl and friends. While the new tools offer a "step up" as noted, turning developers into reviewers, and possibly empowering home users, I see some problems. AI tends to reinvent the wheel at every turn, and whether I am a professional developer wanting reliable and thoroughly tested routines as building blocks, or the home user not wanting the fridge to launch a DDOS attack on government sites, this seems counter to good practice, and the verbosity makes review difficult, so you have to get your tools to review your tools. And there's no learning. Our great skill is in confronting the unknown, and ma lose this when everything is a button-push (or prompt) away. I chug away at piano, rather than letting the MIDI play stuff.
benoau
I think this is just a transient phase and soon enough we'll miss this too.
vinyl7
Use AI slop at work, handcraft software as a hobby. Funny how capitalism optimizes for crap.
maxnyriev
Started as engineer, converted to manager, and now I'm back to engineer. AI brought me some joy back of "engineering". I feel it is way more easier now to scale yourself, essentially everyone acts a manager now.
codegeek
For me, so far AI has been a net positive. It gave me back control of my small company in a way that I really needed to continue. I am going to continue to implement AI across our company to make things more efficient but with the right guardrails. As a previous programmer who was average at best, AI has given me wings. I don't care what others think but it is helping me take my company forward.
platevoltage
I made a similar post a little bit ago. I've already held the funeral.