Software Engineers Say They're Losing the Ability to Code Now That AI Does It for Them

"Even for employees who've managed to hold onto their jobs, AI is having a very real impact at work. As corporations boast about how much they're investing in automation, the reality is that many employers are practically forcing the tech on their workers. Nowhere has that been more visible than software engineers, with companies including Meta even introducing "leaderboards " to show which employees are burning the most AI tokens in real-time."

"Many are speaking out, saying they now simply review AI-generated code instead of writing it themselves - a rote task, it turns out, that's an important part of keeping their technical skills sharp. Similar complaints are proliferating across social media, and 404 Media talked to more developers who confirmed the problem."

""I had some issues where I forgot how to implement a Laravel API and it scared the s**t out of me," one engineer, who requested to remain anonymous, told 404. "I went to university for this, I've been a software engineer for many years now and it feels like I am back before I ever wrote a single line of code.""

""It's making me dumber for sure," the same developer told 404. "It's like when we got cellphones and stopped remembering phone numbers, but it's grown to me mentally outsourcing 'thinking' in general. I feel my critical thinking and ability to sit and reason about a problem or a""

AI is affecting jobs even for employees who keep their positions. Employers are investing in automation while also encouraging or effectively requiring AI tools for workers. Software engineering is a prominent example, including systems that track employees’ AI usage in real time. Some developers report shifting from writing code to reviewing AI-generated code, which they say reduces practice of essential skills. One developer described forgetting how to implement a Laravel API and feeling like they were back before writing code. Others report being given AI coding tools such as Cursor and using them regularly. Developers warn that time savings may come with long-term harm to skills needed to design and reason about larger projects.

Read at Futurism