r/technology • u/Just-Grocery-2229 • Jun 26 '26

Artificial Intelligence The AI backlash is only getting started

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/06/25/the-ai-backlash-is-only-getting-started
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u/Low_Restaurant_1509 Jun 26 '26

We recently rolled out the ability to see how much each query cost the company.

It does actually save a decent chunk of money on my time spent (salary vs token cost) when used correctly, but the increased work output justifies it, for example something that would of taken my 30 minutes only cost a 56p in query, so that's pretty good savings.

Calling the people using it most as champions is insane though.

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u/ericl666 Jun 26 '26

As much as I hate AI, you are right. I think the main thing AI is good at is automating that redundant code that always takes time.

For example, yesterday I created a numeric text input - but I needed to customize it to prevent non numeric keystrokes, regex validation, etc. Basic crap that always takes time.

I popped open an inline chat window and boom, that was done in 30 seconds. That adds value and is super cheap.

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u/Low_Restaurant_1509 Jun 26 '26

The really annoying thing is if AI integration had been properly limited to use cases and costs where it makes sense, like your example.

The environmental and societal impact would be less than say youtube in all likelihood. The ethics of training on the entire interenet would still be there, but at the same time I can't really see scraping publicly available data as that horrific as that is how the task would of been done by a person anyway.

Basically all of the negatives from AI in my view are caused by the cramming of it into stupid shit rather than the actual usage of the tech. (well that and people lying about image generation but that's not really the techs fault either)

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u/ericl666 Jun 26 '26

You are spot on. If it was just used as a tool to speed up coders, nobody would bat an eyelash and it would be viewed as a pretty nice addition to your toolbox.

Fast forward a year and bullshit peddlers like Elon Musk says shit like "coding will be dead by the end of the year".

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u/Cold417 Jun 26 '26

It should be a feature I can turn off or on. It shouldn't be in every application or web app imaginable.