This content originally appeared on dbushell.com (blog) and was authored by dbushell.com (blog)
I’ve made minor updates to my AI Policy but you probably don’t care because you’re tired of reading criticism. You’ve dismissed all that because AI is inevitable.
If you do care, and you should, you are not taking crazy pills! Billions pumped into the relentless marketing machine make for a very effective counter to one’s sanity.
This post is primarily written towards web and software developers. All em-dashes were written by human.
The reality is you just don’t care about the harm done by the AI industrial complex. You only care about the perceived harm to your ego and reputation. So you compartmentalise because pulling the one-armed code bandit is a rush.
Two Things
I’m not an “AI hater” despite calling myself that once. I don’t affiliate myself with any anti-AI movement (if those exist). I’m just looking at reality and seeing two things.
Thing one
None of this stuff works half as good as promised. Seems to me the hallucinations have spread from machine to human. Either that or I just have higher standards. It’s easy to be confused until you notice a high percentage of proponents are in on selling it. What bothers me most though is the way it’s made and sold. That’s the brunt of my AI Policy.
But you don’t care, so moving on.
Thing two
I have no desire whatsoever to make a career babysitting a chat box — excuse me, Orchestration Engineering — regardless of how well it works. Sounds like mind-numbing drudgery by all accounts I’ve read that claim it’s their new nine-to-five.
Last time I said no thanks I was mocked by one guy on Hacker News — well played sir — the implication being that I was entitled. That I should suck it up and accept change. Must I? In this timeline, wouldn’t further advancements in AI only increase the menialness of my labour? I’m sure that’ll pay well. Or am I supposed to be selling the AI too — that could be my misunderstanding here.
What does the future hold for all of us?
AI Inevitablism
Spurious claims of “90% of my code is written by AI” and “AI has made me 10x more productive” are only ever backed up by vibes. Question: what’s your methodology, what metrics are you measuring? Do you have any comparable numbers prior to AI? Are we simply counting green squares on the GitHub contribution chart?
Let’s put aside doubts around current quality and results. What about tomorrow? There’s no guarantee AI will get better. Training costs are exponential. The world’s data has been vacuumed and laundered. We’re seeing new AI products look suspiciously like old models wrapped in a trench coat. Stagnation is a real possibility. AI companies are teetering on the edge of a fiscal event horizon; and that’s the optimistic view.
Nothing is ever said about the financial barrier to entry. The $200 per month heavily subsidised subscription excludes all but the privileged. I can already hear replies of “It’ll pay for itself with 10x productivity” — show me your 10x profits — “Costs will come down” — they’re going up. Let’s be honest this is white tech for the one percent.
The only inevitability I see if that you’ll continue to ignore very real criticism because the train is leaving; buy a first class ticket or get left behind. What about those adversely affected? Sorry, I can’t hear you! Choo Choooo! Next stop: Gas Town.
AI Policy
As things stand clients still can’t pay me to prompt. That’s all covered by my AI Policy. I moved the “Morals and Ethics” category first and extended it with recent events. I added “Economy” alongside “Employment and Education”. A few more additions were added elsewhere.
My policy is not intending to be an academic essay. Some statements may need better sources. If you genuinely think I’m misinformed on certain topics I’m tentatively open to feedback. Please don’t @ me about energy usage, linking napkin math that ignores half of it.
Balance
Yes my rhetoric is colourful at times. I’m not obliged to be civil when force-fed by the billion dollar machine that won’t take “no” for an answer — that wasn’t about one email, by the way. Taking a neutral and friendly stance on AI is not the middle ground when the scales are tipped by economic powers trying to destroy my career. AI criticism is not a personal attack. That is unless AI has replaced your personality, as well as your code.
To my fellow level-headed developers, stay strong!
Thanks for reading! Follow me on Mastodon and Bluesky. Subscribe to my Blog and Notes or Combined feeds.
This content originally appeared on dbushell.com (blog) and was authored by dbushell.com (blog)
dbushell.com (blog) | Sciencx (2026-01-26T15:00:00+00:00) AI Policy and The Inevitable. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2026/01/26/ai-policy-and-the-inevitable/
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