I Have a Confession: I Built This Site with AI – Please Forgive Me
4 hours ago
- Author has a PhD in instrumentation physics but became a self-taught software developer specializing in low-level protocols and async patterns.
- AI coding tools (around spring 2026) evolved to the point where multiple agents could autonomously build, test, and review code, making traditional coding skills less competitive.
- Software development is uniquely suited for AI because it requires concrete, testable outputs, unlike open-ended text generation.
- The author built a typewriter collection website using AI, delegating all coding work to agents while guiding features and fixing bugs, never touching the code directly.
- Using AI for coding removed the joy of problem-solving and hurdles; the journey is now for the agent, and enjoyment comes only from the destination.
- Human involvement is still essential for keeping AI on task, providing creative ideas, and steering it away from dead ends.
- Ethical concerns include unearned knowledge, lack of attribution to open-source libraries, and AI training on public code without compensation or consent.
- The author reluctantly adopted AI to keep up, despite hating the process, and hopes AI companies may face legal or profitability challenges.