Where I live we have self-driving taxi services city-wide. I encounter them on the road frequently when I’m driving and they are my preference if I need a taxi service. Truth is I feel safer around them/inside of them than I do the alternatives. Just the fact that they don’t suffer selective/directional situational awareness, as humans do, gives them some advantages.

Shall I regret that I put a lot of effort towards José’s oligarchy? My contributions to Linux core happened 20 years ago, did they already led to Linus’ oligarchy yet, or shall I wait more? My own libraries, I maintain—when and where can I get my oligarch badge?

Ah, you are maybe talking about corporations using my code? I am fine with that, and everyone else who released their code under MIT/Apache/BSD is too. I don’t think I was ever an engine for G becoming oligarchy, but I surely know many people I have been collaborating with, making them happier a bit with my OSS effort and vice versa.

In my experience, that “oligarchy” narrative is just a demagogic twist invented by those who prefer take and not give.

Saw this on LinkedIn and I kinda agree with it (I do not have this exact, but you’ll get the spirit of it)

2025 - 10% of engineers are fired for AI
2026 - 50% of engineers replaced with AI
2027 - 100% of engineers are replaced with AI
2028 - Senior engineers are hired back at exorbitant salaries to rewrite all the AI code

I think eventually AI tools (whatever those are) will replace engineers. Coding is just the clever application of Math. But I think we have a long way to go before they replace all of us. However, I don’t see CxO’s seeing things the same way. I think they will buy into the hype, replace us, and suffer for it.