Listen instead If companies require 20–40% fewer employees to do the same or better work, who will be left with salaries to buy the very products they make? This material reflects my opinions and not those of my employers. ...
Research: The Evolution of Software Development Tools and the Changing Role of the Software Engineer, revised by Claude This material reflects my opinions and not those of my employers. Overview: A Recurring Promise For more than six decades, each new generation of development tools has arrived with a bold promise: this time, we’ve made coding so simple that you won’t need skilled engineers anymore. It has never been true. What has happened instead is more interesting — each wave of abstraction raised the floor of what was possible, which raised the ceiling of what was expected, which demanded skilled practitioners. However, the skills required have evolved. ...
Listen instead *AI was not used for writing, but an AI summary and analysis is available below the essay* Zelda I enter the waiting room and I am greeted by a humanoid with perfect physical dimensions all around. The voice is cordial and caring. It looks at my dog and senses she is not well. Immediately its face turns into a perfectly sympathetic expression. It turns back to me and gives me a hug. It learned from previous interactions I welcome hugs as an expression of affection. During the first few visits, Zelda knew there was something very wrong with the human lookalike. She did not wag her tail as she did with every human she met. She didn’t approach it and her face had a mix of confusion and fear. She could not feel anything for it other than the same feeling she had when the long gone Roomba started running in the house. Something like, this is not supposed to be moving. With time, like with the Roomba she got used to the device, and now she walks with it because she knows there will be a treat in the examination room. She is not afraid nor excited. She is indifferent. It is a sophisticated moving inanimate device that dispenses treats. That’s all she cares. ...