Leave Me Behind

A personal reflection from an Android developer who pushes back against the pressure to adopt AI coding tools. Drawing on a decade of experiences — from hackathons and conferences to mentorship and community — the author argues that the human connections, trial-and-error learning, and collaborative problem-solving that define software development are eroded when developers delegate thinking to LLMs. Rather than enhancing the craft, AI tools are seen as depleting the lived experience that makes building software meaningful. The author concludes they would rather be 'left behind' than sacrifice that humanity.