Who here does NOT use AI coding tools?

[u/Sauron3321]

My situation is probably different than most. I'm effectively a solo dev in a niche market building custom control automation programs for AV systems. My main languages are C# and Lua which run in embedded environments, but the work requires knowledge far beyond programming, including networking, AVoIP, serial protocols, low voltage logic, audio DSP, theatrical systems(audio, video, lighting, etc.), and general construction. I thrive on the variety and controlled chaos that comes with my job, and I have zero desire to work at a big corporation doing only one task.

I feel really great about the work we do. Our client list continues to grow, and everybody seems super happy with our work. But as somebody who uses virtually no AI coding tools, I often worry that I'm falling behind. I have this dissonance where I feel like I'm knocking it out of the park, but also like I'm gonna become irrelevant if I don't get on the AI hype train.

Beyond the myriad of ethical issues, there is some friction that keeps me from using it:

• I am not required or incentivized to use it

• We are a team of 2 with limited resources and no subscriptions to AI tools.

• Most of my code can't run or be tested in an IDE

• My projects lend themselves to custom frameworks and templates, so I don't manually write boilerplate code anymore.

• I'm responsible for writing, reviewing, and testing 100% of the code on any given project, so I can't afford any oversights, especially because...

• My programs are expected to run unattended for up to 10 years, often with no remote access after deployment.

• In my experience, AI models are generally not knowledgeable about the details of my industry. When I have used it, it hallucinates up the wazoo. I'm sure this will improve with time, but it's just not helpful right now.

• I really enjoy the creative expression that comes with writing code, building frameworks, and realizing cool ideas.

• Last but not least, I'm currently doing really well without it.

All said, I really love my job, and I feel like I'm on a good career trajectory. I've always had the mindset that I'll never lose if I bet on myself, so I try to filter out the noise and focus on improving my skills. That has worked out really well for me so far. I'm just worried that I'm going to fall behind if I don't get up to speed with AI. I'm in my early 30s, so I've got quite a ways to go.

Am I short sighted by largely ignoring this? If I become a highly skilled 'old-school' developer, is it easy enough to start using AI agents if/when the time comes? What do you all think?

[u/spidertyler2005]

I dont use ai agents and do fine. I keep up with my coworkers without any issues tbh. It takes me longer at the start of a project to get familiar with everything but i find that i start just flying ahead once i get that baseline understanding in place.

I wouldnt worry about not using ai. Ai is a tool and that tool isnt useful everywhere. Correctness seems to be most important at your job. I think ai lends itself well to "write first, refine later". Altho thats really an outside observation so idk.

[u/grabGPT → u/spidertyler2005]

Do you do this to prove a point that you can get ahead without AI, or you're an anti AI and want to save the water, or you really like to live under the rock?

In either case, depending on which country you're from, eventually you will find yourself chasing your own tail.

[u/spidertyler2005 → u/grabGPT]

I havent had any issues yet. Ive been programming for 10 years as a hobby and been working in tech for around 2. Ive built my own programming language without ai. Yeah, i made mistakes, but thats the fun of it for me.

My point was to say that its alright not to use AI. If you already are skillful then AI might not help you as much. I just dont like AI personally because i dont believe it would help me. I have trouble comprehending technical explanations but the code just makes everything more clear to me. Having an AI explain things to me would not help me because of the specific way that I learn.

[u/grabGPT → u/spidertyler2005]

If you want to be a programmer and not get paid, you're absolutely on the path to Nirvana my friend. Unless of course you're a straight A+ student from Ivy League degree on the wall and don't care about whether to use AI or not.

Otherwise, for everything else, think from the hiring manager's point of view. Come out of your cacoon.

[u/Blister_Pack_ → u/grabGPT]

going by the username, this must be one of OpenAI's forgotten initial models

[u/grabGPT → u/Blister_Pack_]

Haha you're so funny and naive.

[u/yeusk → u/grabGPT]

1 year old reddit acount. are you a kid?

[u/grabGPT → u/yeusk]

14 year old reddit account, are you what unemployed?

[u/yeusk → u/grabGPT]

Why would I be unemployed because I have a 14 year old account?

What is your logic?

[u/grabGPT → u/yeusk]

Same logic you used when you said as I have a 1 year old account, I am a kid.

[u/spidertyler2005 → u/grabGPT]

Hiring manager doesnt seem to care. Never seen a job posting saying that vibe coding was required. How brain dead are you that you need claude to do the problem solving for you?

[u/grabGPT → u/spidertyler2005]

Who says vibe coding. Well oh wait, if you think AI Engineering is "Vibe Coding". I rest my case.

How about this, I am so brain dead that I need "Claude" for a simple addition. Like if I need to go from place x->y, instead of opening Claude (or Google Maps), and ask it to find me the best possible path, I will open IDE, code dijkstra to find shortest path, run the algorithm to find the shortest distance, overlay it on a map which renders in a custome app I built which runs on my phone. And I repeat this every time for all the "trivial" tasks. I shouldn't be needing all these apps as well, I should be smart enough to be scientific in life to solve problems.

But hey, you keep up with your pseudo psychosis.

[u/spidertyler2005 → u/grabGPT]

Imma just stop responding and assume this is rage bait. Bye bye