It used to be hard

6 days ago

The author describes a new emotion as wanting to climb on a roof and yell 'It used to be hard!', reflecting on the difficulty of past software development tasks that now seem automated or simplified by AI.
Comparing themselves to an old rock and roll guitarist watching a DJ, the author acknowledges the lower barrier to entry and creativity in new technologies but feels frustration as their hard-earned skills become less relevant.
The essay suggests that the cultural value placed on hard work and difficulty may be challenged by AI automation, leading to a shift where people might seek new, challenging fields like hardware or biology, or even resist trading effort for ease.
It predicts that the sociopolitical issue of seeing one's hard work rendered obsolete by AI will be significant in the coming years, causing frustration but eventually leading to adaptation to new, creative lifestyles.

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