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The thing is that a large portion of what people are using AI (and tech in general) to do simply doesn't need to be done. We don't need a "smart" dental floss
by BrenBarn 1y ago
The thing is that a large portion of what people are using AI (and tech in general) to do simply doesn't need to be done. We don't need a "smart" dental floss dispenser, or something that automatically buys toilet paper for you, or little Clippy-the-paper-clip bots popping up everywhere to ask if you need help. A lot of the tech that's coming out is a through-and-through waste of everyone's time and energy --- its users' as well as its makers'.
- jimbokun 1y agoI've had the same thought. What if the real reason for recent softness in software engineer hiring, is that we have almost all the software we really need? I feel like it's been a while since I even saw some software and thought "oh, I really need that!" Vs "here is something we will force you to download and install on your phone in order to do something that previously didn't require software". Like online menus in restaurants or event tickets or parking meter apps.
- BrenBarn 1y agoI think we've had almost all the software we need for years now. Most new software is small variations on existing software. In terms of software that would make you go "oh I really need that" because it's a genuinely novel type of functionality. . . it's hard for me to think what's the most recent software I use that falls into that category. Actually more common is that I use an old, working program but then it stops working for whatever reason (e.g., not compatible with latest upgrades) and then I need to look for "new" software to do the same old thing, which it often doesn't do as well as the old software.