Programming Isn't Special
The author argues that programming should be considered a form of art and that the industry's reliance on AI tools is detrimental to the craft. The piece critiques the 'mystification' of art and suggests that functional work can still possess artistic value.
Why it matters
It reflects a growing philosophical debate within the software engineering community regarding the impact of generative AI on creative labor.
Writers went on strike to get protections against “AI” . Thousands of artists have signed open letters in protest of “AI” . There are so many copyright lawsuits from creative industry groups against AI that there’s a whole dedicated website for it . Popular YouTubers absolutely hate it . If they’re also musicians, they REALLY hate it . Across all creative industries, there is a concerted push to reject this technology.
Yet, almost unique among creative fields, many experienced programmers remain convinced that it’s fine to use “AI” for programming. We do seem to hate it, and it’s making us all miserable , and what it’s doing to our industry, but we are using it anyway .
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