My AI era...

I can’t go back, can I?

No, but if you could, would you really want to?

Matrix

I was skeptical at first… 

About 3 years ago, I heard that AI became the buddy of pair programming, I assumed that it was just a fancy auto-complete or boilerplate generator.

2 years ago, AI started write test cases, referencing across multiple files, refactored codes. I assumed that it was just doing better job than JetBrains by indexing the repositories, or better in parsing AST of multiple languages.

a year ago, when AI shifted toward autonomous agents for planning, executing, and iterating on complex, multi-file changes. I stopped assuming…

I started tinkering on ChatGPT, Ollama, OpenClaw, Claude Code, now investing in OpenCode, I have burnt some tokens and toyed some models. Paid too much attention (which I should not) on AI related news and rumors.

From copy/paste codes in and out from ChatGPT to managing team of autonomous agents to code for me. I am empowered by AI, and AI is for sure changing the way how I work. I no longer care about what is the API signatures for calling Stripe (like i knew how); no longer care about how to setup the project environment (like i knew how);  no longer care about writing too much of unit tests (i hate it most). In turn, I could just focus on problem solving, product user experience, and team dynamic (afterall we’re just human)

No, I did not say AI would take away our job. It just pushed us to where we were supposed to deliver in the first place. Maybe where we forgot long time ago. It is a good push i assume.

Just like the quote in the start. I don’t think I can go back to where AI was not part of my internet/work life, I don’t think we can either. At least not as a software engineer.

I was skeptical at first… now I am embracing it.