The Five Stages of Grief in Software Development in the Age of AI
I've been a software developer for +25 years. The other day, I actually did the maths. If I don't count the fact that I started writing my first programs on a ZX Spectrum as a kid around 1988, and only consider my professional career, which began sometime in the second half of the 1990s as a junior developer, that's still almost thirty years. YEY. That's scary. I am old. I've seen so many trends…
The software development landscape has undergone numerous transformations throughout my three-plus decades in the field. From the early days of JavaScript to the rise of jQuery and Ajax, trends have come and gone, following a consistent pattern. Similarly, design principles such as SOLID, DRY, and KISS have emerged, gained acceptance, and eventually faded from prominence.
The introduction of unit testing was once met with skepticism from large companies with extensive codebases that lacked even basic testing practices. As AI enters the scene, software developers find themselves grappling with its implications in the same way they have before - initially fearful, then defensive, and now questioning established norms.
I've been surprised by the backlash I've faced for expressing concerns about AI's impact on the industry, and I empathize with colleagues struggling to secure new roles amidst the turbulence. Ultimately, I believe that embracing change and remaining open to challenging long-held beliefs will lead to personal and professional growth in this rapidly evolving world.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
