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Software engineers have been automating away workers' jobs from the beginning. "Computer" was once a job title. There were armies of switchboard operators at th

Software engineers have been automating away workers' jobs from the beginning. "Computer" was once a job title. There were armies of switchboard operators at the phone company. Companies had typing pools, mail clerks, and file clerks. We write shell scripts and development tools to automate our own jobs.

sph 8mo ago
Most of us got into engineering for the means (programming computers) rather than the ends (automating away jobs). I guess the people that have been rejoicing from the AI revolution are of the latter type.
- esperent 8mo ago
  Or maybe they find the idea of computers that can think just as exciting as you found programming at the start of your career?
  - sph 8mo ago
    I never found the idea of a thinking computer exciting, just as I don’t find the idea of a thinking screwdriver exciting. These days I see the ultimate goal to create a super-intelligence to be blasphemous, if not existentially dangerous and I am afraid by how nonchalant everybody is about it. I quite enjoy a reality where humans and biological life are in control of their destiny, but it’s apparently become a taboo opinion around these parts.
    - esperent 8mo ago
      Good for you. But other people are allowed to find things exciting that you don't. Personally I'd find the idea of thinking screwdriver... Well, weird. But definitely amazing and exciting.
      - tpoacher 8mo ago
        A thinking screwdriver: "You know what ... screw this."
      - jasomill 8mo ago
        I find the idea of a thinking screwdriver annoying. Thinking things are difficult to reason about, and tools that are difficult to reason about are frustrating to use.
- ryandrake 8mo ago
  I think a lot of engineers ignore the ends because they enjoy the means. The ethical impact of their work doesn't matter because they get to work on cool technology.
Atomic_Torrfisk 8mo ago
Those were electrical engineers, digital switches came out later... regardless we are talking about labor of a much larger industry.

sph 8mo ago

Most of us got into engineering for the means (programming computers) rather than the ends (automating away jobs). I guess the people that have been rejoicing from the AI revolution are of the latter type.

esperent 8mo ago
Or maybe they find the idea of computers that can think just as exciting as you found programming at the start of your career?
- sph 8mo ago
  I never found the idea of a thinking computer exciting, just as I don’t find the idea of a thinking screwdriver exciting. These days I see the ultimate goal to create a super-intelligence to be blasphemous, if not existentially dangerous and I am afraid by how nonchalant everybody is about it. I quite enjoy a reality where humans and biological life are in control of their destiny, but it’s apparently become a taboo opinion around these parts.
  - esperent 8mo ago
    Good for you. But other people are allowed to find things exciting that you don't. Personally I'd find the idea of thinking screwdriver... Well, weird. But definitely amazing and exciting.
    - tpoacher 8mo ago
      A thinking screwdriver: "You know what ... screw this."
    - jasomill 8mo ago
      I find the idea of a thinking screwdriver annoying. Thinking things are difficult to reason about, and tools that are difficult to reason about are frustrating to use.
ryandrake 8mo ago
I think a lot of engineers ignore the ends because they enjoy the means. The ethical impact of their work doesn't matter because they get to work on cool technology.

Atomic_Torrfisk 8mo ago

Those were electrical engineers, digital switches came out later... regardless we are talking about labor of a much larger industry.