Code reviewing was never the most interesting thing to do. But it had one important element. That, if done right, it was knowledge exchange between the reviewer and the coder. That can be quite motivating. Helping a fellow coder to become better. Reviewing "AI" written code does NOT come with that potential reward. The machine doesn't learn the way a human does. This turns code reviewing into a menial, fruitless task that leads to frustration instead. That's my observation and opinion.
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@jwildeboer
Thinking about code review responses from whole variety/spectrum of developer experience/skills/computer languages/industries & an analogy comes to mind:
- Code review went from clearly defined, human-centered, learning & tacit knowledge-transfer, expert-based process like pilots as a union:
- flying planes
- focus on safety (checklist, pilot equipment veto, etc
- training pilots
to
- code delivered in black bags, like refuse & sorting through the dross.
@dahukanna
It feels like we did a full circle, I remember how much time and effort it took to have the industry learn that code is not something one yeets over the wall to SREs. Now we’re back to yeeting, more automated than ever.
@jwildeboer @onepict
Yes!
The “yeeting” (of garbage code) will continue until “productivity” (of workers, trying not to make garbage code) improves.
- https://mastodon.social/@dahukanna/115598682687921496
‘
A slide I use in almost every presentation I give -
“Essentially, all models are wrong but some are useful” - George E.P. Box - 1976’
The second element I have heard a few times now: "AI" written code is not seen as "my" code by coders. They don't feel attached to it in the way they do with code they have written themselves. Hence they are not really "feeling" for it, so they are also not really interested in making it better or defending it in the review cycle. Just tweak the prompt and move on. This is having a real impact on motivation, discussion and results. It is hard to put in metrics, though.
2/2
There have already been more than enough studies that demonstrate, the more someone uses "AI" in their job, the worse and worse they become at their job.
We're SUPPOSED to grind over menial tasks, especially mental ones. That's what builds new and better pathways in our brains.
"AI" literally makes us dumber
ADDENDUM: Thank you all for your insightful replies! Please don't stop sharing! I will take my time and put it all together in a blog post to have a permanent source. I will not directly quote replies without asking for permission first. It seems my post hit a nerve, which inspires me to dig a bit deeper going forward. (I also ignore the few replies with thought terminating clichés that try to deflect this productive conversation)
@jwildeboer ”Outsourcing your thinking is a fascist idea, because our power comes from thinking together.”
-Naomi Klein
