AI, The Senior's Autocomplete #

When you start learning how to code you usually do it using a basic text editor where you type in the tutorial and run the code. The first time you start using an IDE, a feeling of insecurity overwhelms you; the thing already knows how to do all you know that you know to do.

The more you keep learning and progressing towards mastery, the more you realize that for every new lesson you learn there is an existing solution to that problem which already has all the bells and whistles needed. To make your self-esteem suffer even more, these solutions are open source and in almost all the cases is also free to use for commercial purposes. It's just too easy to conclude that "What the fuck am I even trying to do here?". And that's where you are wrong.

Plenty of so called senior software developers are in shambles right now because of AI. All they know how to do, the AI can do for them - and even worse, the AI can do it for anybody who asks. In the same way that autocomplete replaces the need to type in all the code every time for the junior developer. I say they are "so called senior software developers" because it seems they have forgotten about what is like to learn new things; to be a junior, to realize that their job is not to be a typist. And that's were they are wrong too.

See, software programming is about problem solving. It's mostly all about creativity with a sprinkle of engineering. There are known solutions to common problems and repeatable patterns that you can apply over and over. For the rest of the problems, which represent the vast majority of them, you need to develop a taste over time on what is the best path forward.

Understanding the problem at hand and solving it withing the context you are operating in. Which implementation will give you a competitive advantage given your current set of constraints. It's knowing what practices will help you and which will be in your own detriment. What attributes to prioritize within the system. To close the gap in understanding between the systems you are responsible for and the outsiders no matter their technical background. To drill and drill with questions until you understand the problems that need to be solved not just fixing the symptoms. And then to care enough to work hard all the way trough completion.

And that's not something you can autocomplete. So, don't worry, keep on coding.