Why AI Has Turned Software Engineering Into a Soulless Slop Factory
A grumpy screed about AI in software engineering
After twenty years in the industry, I find my entire professional life drowning in AI-generated slop, from code reviews to roadmaps. What was once a craft is now a slog where opting out is professionally suicidal. Even Apple is releasing slopware, making it nearly impossible to stand out in a universe filled with automated mediocrity. I fear non-AI projects will remain a niche, leaving us to struggle for sanity in a world that demands we embrace the machine.
Every company asks about your opinion on AI now as one of the first interviews. It's basically shorthand for determining whether you'll be difficult or not.
- shric
30 years in the industry for me. It’s been a wild last few years watching this transformation. Like the OP I find it wholly unpleasant and I also can’t deny the productivity boost. I’m very glad I’m nearly ready for retirement and I look forward to watching this “progress” from a comfortable distance.
- avaer
For a hundred years software was inscrutable enough to normies that you could be an artisan. But most professions haven't had that luxury for a long, long time. Try making and selling pretty much anything else you built by hand.
Now it's software people's turn to feel the pain of being a starving artist and watch as your attractive friends with no skills and a social media presence "make it" with their genius.
We haven't even begun to feel the weight of it yet.
- fzeroracer
I'm sitting at about a decade of experience and it feels equally bad here. Honestly right now I'm mostly waiting for either AI to blow up and companies to scale back massively or for other engineers to deskill themselves into oblivion so that skilled engineers get the edge again.
If neither gambit pay out then I'll just go find some other career and keep software as my hobby. I'm not going to let this billion dollar industry ruin the thing I enjoy.
- throwaway74628
I anticipate and welcome the market price of slopware dropping to zero, given that it’s now in infinite supply.
Too much talent has been cohabiting with SO copypasters, MBA idiots, and management dorks for too long, time to break up.
- fusslo
My org has restructured to gear up for reducing engineers' necessary skills
They've changed our job titles from 'Engineer' to 'Developer'.
Power (in the form of talking to business owners, organizing work, setting engineering direction) has been centralized. We had 6 engineering managers now we have one 'Director'.
I don't think I've solved a real problem in 8 months.