by massung | 2026-02-21 16:38:23+00:00
In my 25+ years programming, I don't yet think I've met a programmer who hasn't dreamed of "just being a lawnmower" (or some equally equiv, "mundane" job). Just the idea of ending the day having accomplished something and being able to 100% switch off work and just relax. The same is probably true of other professions like lawyers and doctors.

AI is definitely going to change things. It already has, but I don't think what it's done is the real change coming. Right now it's just a new tool in the toolbox. It does great at some things and terrible at others. Note: I'm speaking purely about LLMs/generative AI, because other forms of AI are -incredibly- useful and have been for a while (think DeepFold). I only mention it because it's important people remember there's different types of AI models used for all sorts of different things.

What's important to keep in mind are a few things:

* We all stand on the shoulders (abstractions) of giants. People of the past lamented about C, Java, ... every abstraction that came before. Did those abstractions cause the next batch of programmers to lose knowledge about what was really happening? Sure, but each also enabled an explosion of new ways of thinking and problem solving that brought us to where we are now. If you can recognize that, then that will help.

* You became a programmer/engineer for reasons (what I'll call "itches"). Only you know what those are. Buy, my guess is that - like most of us - there was something about the -problem solving- and logical analyses/thinking taking place, and seeing others gaining benefit from that work. First, if you look to another job, pick something that scratches those same itches, otherwise you'll be bored and depressed again very quickly. More importantly, the reason you're even asking the question is because something about AI feels like it's taken that "scratch" away from you. Keep in mind that your "itch" can be abstracted, too. Instead of solving a (for example) network byzantine problem, go one level higher, which has the same problem at the human-scale. Now AI becomes a tool to help you come up with and solve the problem instead of one that's replacing you. Same itch, different level, different tools.

* The comment mentioning "shadowing someone" is some solid advice. Right now you're succumbing to a "grass is greener" effect. That will disappear quickly if you do switch, and you'll still be in the same place if those itches are not being scratched. Again, identify the itch first.

Finally... and I can't stress this one enough... whenever I've been down due to the "itch" not being scratched at work (for any reason, not just AI), I've personally found the best solution to the problem is to volunteer and help others. This could be anything: food bank, big brother, translation services, helping to teach your native language to someone else, or even teaching something you consider important (i.e., programming) to kids at your local school via an after-school program. Every single time I do this I walk away feeling great. Inevitably there was a single point in the day in which I dramatically affected one person's life positively, and they - in turn - affected me similarly. In a class of 10 kids who want to learn to make games, there was 1 who had no way of being able to do this on their own due to at-home problems. At a food bank it was an elderly woman who couldn't speak English and I happened to be the one person who could speak her language (she was so excited to talk to someone). Or being in the children's ward at the hospital over x-mas, delivering toys. And sometimes I'd even walk away with a new set of ideas where my programming skills could solve a new set of problems I discovered existed and lead me to a whole new career.