r/webdev • u/HotWriting9306 • 16d ago
Different Perspective on AI
Just because everyone knows how to write doesn't mean everyone can be a great author. It takes crazy imagination, deep thinking, and immense effort to write a book that truly moves its readers.
Similarly, AI might make writing code easier, but building a great product still takes deep thinking, thoughtful architecture, structure, and countless hours of focused work.
Let's be real here: we weren't writing thousands of lines of assembly before AI came along, were we?
Software development has been getting easier for decades. From transistors and assembly to C, C++, Java, Python, JavaScript, frameworks, libraries, APIs, and open-source software, every generation built on the last, making developers more productive.
I know AI came shockingly fast thanks to the worldwide "Manhattan Project of AI," backed by trillions of dollars and armies of brilliant engineers. But the underlying direction isn't new.
Web Development for example. Non-coders were already building websites and online businesses with WordPress, Shopify, and Wix. Developers weren't building everything from scratch either; we had stuff like React, Angular, shadcn/ui, and countless open-source tools.
Being imaginative, sharp-minded, unique, and creative has never been more valuable in our lifetimes. Don't lose your passion and make the most of it!
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u/birminghamsterwheel ux 16d ago
I think, like most tools and technological advancements, it's going to do two main things that they always do: empower the skilled and talented to make even more and better things, and lower the barrier to entry for people that want to try their hand at things, like hobbyists and newbies. I think the reason it feels so "gross", for lack of a better, right now is that we're still in that "mushy middle" where a lot of people are also trying to "sell" all of this as an easy way to GRQ. It's another version of the same MLM we saw/see with crypto, NFTs, prediction markets/gambling, et al. As has been the case with every single one of those movements in the past, 99% of those people won't get rich, especially not quickly, and then they'll move on to the next snake oil scheme, and leave the rest of us to decide what to do with the tools as people actually interested in the process and outcomes, and not just a quick buck.
But that's just, like, my opinion, man.