I left the tech industry after 10 years because of AI

Literally never used it. I got by for several decades without it and now it’s atrophying peoples brains and convincing teenagers to kill themselves. I’m good.

As a grey beard, I never touch AI. My job knows it too. My manager accepts it but tells me to keep it quiet.

They put up with me because I spend 90 % of my current days helping the juniors identify and fix flaws from their AI generated code. The company pushes so hard to use AI, but there’s always something to fix and the juniors will never get that needed exposure for troubleshooting code.

I feel this. I’m looking for a job, and in the mean time I’m creating projects for my protfolio where I have to use proprietary crap. I use the AI model, the software company provided because I don’t enjoy using that software, but will have to for a living.

What I’m doing to keep my sanity is actually learning another language and contributing to a few projects that have banned LLMs. There are really good projects with good intentions and amazing maintainers who actually need help. They could use our help.

These are dark times, but I believe many meat proxies, and slop will end when the bubble pops. Not to bring US politics into this (I’m not even American) but this recent election result is going to make things difficult for those fucking companies to slither out of. Most of these companies (atleast in my country) are relying on the subsidized plans. When that ends/gets worse (which they will as AI agents are just subscription products), most of these deskilled losers might just move on to the next grift. Many won’t even bother or have the hardware (most people in my country can barely afford a PC) to run good models locally

I have hope. We lose only when we give up, Delusional ? Maybe

I feel ya. I’m a security tester so I get to face AI daily as well at my work.

Something depressing I’ve noted as well since the AI age is the (seemingly) complete death of curiosity. Some of the smartest people I know, now completely relegate themselves to become a manager to AI without even touching testing targets anymore.

There used to be a ravenous hunger for new, weird vulnerabilities and quirks in software that could be leveraged. Now they’re all just gloating about how they’re doing everything talking to a machine over discord.

I feel like the only weirdo that apparently actually liked doing the work. It’s sad.

Remember when one of your professors or mentors told you “Learn Fortran, all the old guys are dying and leaving desperate employers behind.”

What do you think happens in five years when no one is willing to pay to train models, the existing ones are no longer keeping up, and most of the industry has spent their time with a tool that actively declines their skills?

I’d like to think that’s at the end of this tunnel is a light that means the culling of bootcamp skids and should-be-MBA techbros from the jobs that should be for developers who are in it for the love of the game.

In the meantime? Yeah, its gonna be rough, sis.

Yep, it sucks. I feel for you. Now I need to get back to slopping it up at my job.

Yup. Even as a mid-career, HIGHLY successful individual, I’m in the same boat. I am so sorry this is happening to you. Every time I feel sorry for myself I think about what the outlook is for those of you just graduating and man, it’s fucking bleak. At the end of the day I think we all have to just do it and hope and push for better.

Personally I’m taking advantage of work from home. If they’re going to make me use these fucked up bots, fuck em. I’ll set the thing running and work on a side project, or play guitar. I refuse to sit there and just stress myself out thinking about my abhorrence for the thing.

Yeah. I feel this so much. Just started uni and while I don’t use it there, the push from profs is wild too. The worst part is knowing that I will have to use it at work eventually, and that I’m very prone to behavioral addictions so I’m like. Hahah. Scared as hell :/ Unsure what to do anymore.

Hey mate! My recommendation is that you connect with humanist communities. For example, I’m at a forum called humancrafted. Connection and community is how we stay healthy in these trying times.

If the bubble bursts as hard as it’s looking to pop, you may not have to worry too much. It will still be here, but the heavy computing will be very expensive, and what’s left will be the assistant type tools. Those are fine. The bubble will burst, it’s just a matter of how long it will take. They are very over-leveraged.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sDzlv-VI2U

Always

Be

Constantly learning

(regardless of trends)

The tech debt that these assholes are generating is either going to cause collapse of the companies and systems, or they’re going to have to be fixed. Plan for both.

I’m currently expecting to lose my job over this in the comming months. I’m planning to go to school for a different field. I don’t want to deal with tech any more.

A lot of folks are saying they wouldn’t use Gen-AI even if they have to starve. Don’t listen to them. It’s better to hate your job and have your basic needs met than to be literally housing/food insecure. If there’s blame to be doled (and there is blame to be doled), it’s on your boss, his boss, Sam Fucking Altman, and all them. Don’t feel bad about taking care of yourself however you need to, even if it means using and making slop. I don’t envy you having to make that choice (and I may be in the same position soon), but don’t feel bad about making it.

Meanwhile, others who have said the bubble will burst in time are absolutely correct. If you do have to have a job that requires Gen-AI usage, understand it’s just to have a paycheck while you wait out the bubble.

None of the above is to say you’re overreacting. This is beyond fucked and you have every right to be super pissed. I hope things work out as well as can be expected for you.

I hear you OP. I am a senior developer and hate my current employer. He is a miserly c*nt. Half of our people already left for better paying jobs. To make matters worse, he has recently joined the Claude cult. I am stranded in search of a new job, that does not include AI.

Our former junior has altogether left development, as there are hardly any junior vacancies anymore. He is flipping burgers now and earning better than he did at our company. He is replaced by Claude by my boss, so one salary less to pay.

As for myself, I can do one of two things:

• Find a new development job. It WILL include AI, which I do not want.
• Leave development entirely. At my age, almost every application is met with utter silence, even for related jobs for which I do have some experience.

I will be opening a very expensive bottle as soon as the bubble bursts.