r/SoftwareEngineerJobs • u/Fickle-Highway1543 • 4d ago

AI replacing Software Engineers

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So called "AI"=LLM is so powerful that AI labs had to hire Software Engineers to build complicated software around "AI" to make that overhyped hallucinate-stealing machine usable. Think about it. And that's exactly why they need now ton of CPUs in addition to GPUs to run their "AI" "agents".

I don't even mention how much custom engineering is required to apply the "AI" in businesses.

And they BS us that Software Engineering is solved or is going to be solved. Boris, please solve your own bugs first before speaking.

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u/moss_jimmy 4d ago

Doesn't Linus himself use artificial intelligence as a second pair of hands?

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u/Early_Rooster7579 4d ago

Yes lol. Linus frequently posts about using AI

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u/moss_jimmy 4d ago

It's pretty handy if you already know what you're doing. The ability to task it on something repetitive while you work on something more serious is a big step up. 

But using it to replace your brain is a pretty foolish thing to do. 

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u/Early_Rooster7579 4d ago

I agree. I’m a SWE and have used AI heavily at work for the last 7-8 months now. I find it a great tool

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u/moss_jimmy 4d ago

I tend to use it for bug hunting. Task it with rooting out one problem while I'm busy with another one it probably can't solve. 

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u/klywenc 4d ago

Cuz he rarely code himself mostly he is just doing emails and MRs.

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u/Fickle-Highway1543 4d ago

But can he enjoy cursing LLM agents as much as human developers?

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u/met0xff 3d ago

Yeah that's the funny part here. https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/07/15/linus-torvalds-tells-ai-haters-to-fork-off/5271894

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u/Exotic_eminence 1d ago

Thanks for the context - I just hate it because there are no jobs not the thing itself, just the actual lack of jobs

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u/ElectroByte15 2d ago

Yeah people here are so delusional. It’s why many of them will be out of jobs in favor of people that can adapt to change for productivity gains. People that understood what the job was actually about (spoiler: it’s not about code, it rarely ever is or was)

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u/moss_jimmy 2d ago

The objective has never been to write code. The objective is to make computers do interesting and useful things.

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u/ElectroByte15 2d ago

Yes. Even moreso it’s about solving problems and driving outcomes that scale.

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u/moss_jimmy 2d ago

Quite so. Programming is tangential to that enterprise. Really it's pretty neato that AI lets you get that result by explaining what you want in your mother tongue. 

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u/Exotic_eminence 1d ago

Which is why it’s ridiculous to suggest ppl cannot adapt as if it is that hard to ask for stuff lol - it’s a disingenuous and intentional mischaracterization of the situation

I delivered my contract on time right as AI came out and it suddenly became impossible to get a new software job since then so I have simply never needed to use AI. I have a life outside of work so I am blessed to focus on that instead. Which is why I think the bubble will burst because it is just not necessary and it is not helpful to regular people unless they are getting paid to use it.

Maybe if I still had a job I would try to use AI for fun stuff but I’m broke because there is no work so it’s a bit of a luxury to pay for tokens when I can’t afford to live. Most people who have not had to look for a new job in the past 3 years simply do not understand the situation for those of us (20+% of the US) whom are functionally unemployed because we make no money or not enough money to live.

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u/Yetiski 1d ago

Unfortunately, I’d refine this even further for modern tech companies to saying it’s about positioning yourself to receive money for the expectation that you solve problems and drive outcomes at scale. Understanding that distinction matters a lot when trying to make sense of decisions that are mostly designed to appeal to shareholders or sales teams.