AI is Turning Us Into Glue: A Software Engineer's Anxiety

The rapid advancement of AI, particularly large language models, is dramatically changing the daily work of software engineers. The author, a software engineer, finds that AI can quickly solve thorny bugs and refactor code, increasing efficiency but robbing him of the pleasure of tackling complex problems and deeply understanding system architecture. The author anticipates AI will excel at most "deep linear thinking" tasks, leaving humans to act as the "glue" connecting AI to the real world, handling mundane tasks like configuring cloud services or wiring hardware. He expresses anxiety about the future, fearing many jobs will disappear and that even new opportunities will likely involve repetitive, unfulfilling "glue" work.