A developer with eight years of experience reflects on one year of mandatory AI-assisted coding at their company. Despite acknowledging speed gains, they feel disconnected from the craft and fulfillment of writing code independently. Salary hasn't increased, working hours haven't decreased, and the productivity gains seem to benefit employers and AI vendors rather than the developers doing the work. The author frames the problem not as the tools themselves but as the economic and managerial pressures that weaponize them.
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