From Stage Dreams to AI Teams: A Developer's Evolution
I never planned to be writing about artificial intelligence and software development. Back in my younger days, I was certain I’d be on stage somewhere, probably arguing with bandmates about creative differences or trying to convince a venue owner that yes, we really did need that much time for soundcheck.
Life has a funny way of redirecting our paths though. These days, instead of trying to master another instrument, I’m exploring what might be the most fascinating “instrument” of my career - AI coding assistants. And they’re opening up interesting possibilities for how we think about longevity and evolution in tech careers.
What fascinates me is how AI collaboration is shifting the value proposition of experience in software development. By offloading certain cognitive burdens to AI - like maintaining mental indexes of documentation or handling repetitive implementation patterns - developers can focus more on applying their accumulated wisdom. It’s about leveraging pattern recognition and system design insights that only come from having seen countless projects succeed (and yes, sometimes spectacularly fail).
It’s like having a tireless colleague who can rapidly propose different approaches - but one who needs your experienced hand on the wheel. The AI proposes the “what” and “how,” while your experience evaluates and shapes those proposals, tackling the crucial “why“ and “should we?” Often, you’ll find yourself guiding those proposals toward better solutions based on hard-won lessons from past projects.
This partnership isn’t about replacing human expertise - it’s about amplifying it. With AI handling high-cognitive-load but lower-judgment tasks, developers can take a more holistic view of projects. It creates space for the strategic thinking that actually moves projects forward.
Maybe this is the tech industry finally finding its own version of “working smarter, not harder.” And for someone who once dreamed of making it big in music, there’s something poetically fitting about finding harmony between human experience and artificial intelligence.