AI Didn't Make Programming Easier. It Just Made It Differently Difficult
I argue that AI has not simplified programming but has instead shifted the challenges. While tools like GitHub Copilot speed up syntax, they introduce new complexities in verification, debugging, and understanding generated code. The core difficulty remains, merely transformed from writing logic to managing and validating AI output.
AI didn't make programming easier. It just made it differently difficult.
- bnfcl
Quote of the main point in the article:
In other words, the hard part moves from recall (“How do I write this?”) to judgment (“Does this actually make sense?”)
This is very true. But to evaluate if it makes sense, you first need experience writing the code. I am glad I learned software development over 15 years ago, and not today. AI is a super power, but without the experience to guide it, it can go horribly wrong really quickly.
- nasretdinov
Definitely not my experience. No matter the model, if I'm working on something important (and there is little reason on working on something not important) I do care about correctness and understandability. While LLMs are great for throwaway one-time code (although that's also debatable), they cannot compete with code written by a seasoned professional. No matter how many times I've tried delegating writing code to LLMs I've always regretted it in a few months' time, because it is more buggy and I don't really know what is happening there.
The future is using LLMs for what they are good for. What that is still being found out. I've had great experience with LLMs reviewing the code (matches with Primagean's ~50% accuracy at finding bugs, which is really good) and for explaining unfamiliar concepts to me.
I firmly believe that the code itself needs to be 100% organic, and if it's not and you're relying on LLMs to generate tons of code, you haven't built enough abstraction to make it unnecessary.
- FinnLobsien
It’s the same with writing: AI writing is coherent on the surface, but is impossible to edit because it’s built on no real insight.
Now the sharpening of a coherent point, challenging one’s assumptions, and editorial decisions of what (not) to include are super important because they’re no longer a byproduct of the writing process.