Post by @vie@hachyderm.io

2026-02-06 23:47 UTC

I think it's interesting how software engineers are (among?) the most eager working class group to replace themselves with LLMs. It's interesting because LLMs do a worse job than us, we lose ability/skill to do our job the more we use it, lose our jobs, produce worse software, are less satisfied with our work, etc. Yet so many of my peers seem to be super excited about and advocate for it, while other working class groups at least detest LLMs if not even consider organising themselves to protect their trade/jobs from LLMs. Are we becoming the cops (read as: class traitors) of this techno-fascist dystopia?

Replies (1)

@juliangonggrijp@ieji.de 2026-02-07 02:19

@vie@hachyderm.io I think part of the logic is that a lot of developers have low self-confidence. If you believe that you're not as good as your peers, it seems attractive to defer part of the work to a machine that presents all its answers with certainty. It lessens your perceived burden and you can lean on its apparent confidence. It's actually bluffing away, an unreliable source compared to intentionally written documentation and a much worse programmer than the nonconfident human, but when you lack confidence, this is harder to recognize. It's a sad vicious cycle where the nonconfident becomes dependent and even less confident as a result. However, I think we need to recognize these people as victims of a trap rather than blaming them for it. It's mainly the marketing rhetoric of the genAI vendors that is at fault. The "mystery AI hype theater", as @emilymbender@dair-community.social aptly calls it. Tip for all humans: "On Confidence" from The School of Life is a sweet, smart, funny, heart-warming little book that you can read in an hour. It might also boost your confidence a bit. Buy multiple copies, give it away to friends and colleagues, bring it to work, on your travels and to the toilet, read it multiple times. One of the best books I've read. https://www.theschooloflife.com/shop/tsol-press-on-confidence/ #genAI #programming #confidence #SchoolOfLife

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