When the Tools Disappear: Heidegger, AI, and the Future of Software Development
There is a peculiar anxiety running through the software development community. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly capable of writing, debugging, and maintaining code, developers are being encouraged to double down on the very skills that AI threatens to make less necessary. Advice on the matter is everywhere, particularly on LinkedIn. Master the fundamentals. Never let AI replace your understanding of code. Learn to work without it. Think like a senior developer. Maintain your independence. The underlying concern is understandable and the concern about the exposure is fair. If developers become dependent on AI to produce software, what happens when they can no longer produce it themselves? What happens when the tools become unavailable, or when the companies controlling them decide to change the terms of access? These are legitimate questions. But I think much of the conversation rests on a mistaken understanding of the relationship between human knowledge, technological development, and professional competence. It assumes that the skills necessary to perform an activity at one point in history must remain essential to performing that activity in the future. History suggests otherwise. **The Things We No Longer Need to Know** I'm old enough to remember when knowing someone's telephone number was…