AI is a Multiplier

AI acts as a multiplier — amplifying both skill and mistakes. Engineers who bring judgment, domain knowledge, and critical thinking can move faster than ever; those who outsource their thinking to LLMs risk shipping confident nonsense at scale. Drawing on 26 years of experience, the author illustrates this with anecdotes about misplaced confidence predating AI, then contrasts them with productive LLM use cases: navigating an unfamiliar PHP extension codebase and automating repetitive GOT-hooking boilerplate. The core argument is that confidence is not competence, and delegating judgment — whether to a coworker, a blog post, or an LLM — has always been the real risk. LLMs are valuable tools when the developer retains ownership of the thinking.