Ai did that with whatever cli tools were available and what it would write itself.
Ai is not a faster horse. It is a phase shift.
We won't see a gas station clerk write photoshop because we won't need a photoshop.
photoshop, paypal, and many more companies etc. have software of vast complexity that cannot be reproduced or maintained today solely with llms, ipso facto you still need software developers or some similar role to build and maintain the complexity of _yesterday_
some guy shipping an iOS app to zero users doesn't change that. although i think it is good we can have more bespoke software.
What can a mid level person do? Instead of a consultancy loaning out a team of 3-4 people, it might just be one person now. That could mean a lot of downsizing.
One thing mid level people wouldn't be counted on to do was create Photoshop or Paypal. The original thread is about top level pros being the ones who stay in the industry, right? That sounds about right if we're moving the conversation over to Photoshop and Paypal.
- if it is true that AI enhances our abilities it just means the goal posts move of what was expected for each level
- the complexity ceiling will rise for the level a superstar or a company is capable of maintaining, meaning there will still be stratified complexities for the mid levels of old to handle, it might just be higher than before
- counter intuitively but time and again increased software creation more often than not increases demand for more software rather than decreases
if the world decides it has no more problems to solve with software, then we are in trouble. i don't think that is happening anytime soon.
This is in a way the same argument that all companies will use just boxed (albeit customized) software. In reality many, ie banks run their own custom software and for good reasons. Wake me up (in retirement) when any major bank decides to run their finances, regulatory stuff and transactions on llm-generated stuff made by underpaid devs like you describe.
If its so good why aren't you rich?
There are definitely more apps developed these days but I haven't seen anything much vibe coded which actually seems to have staying power. Everything is prototype quality.