Ask HN: Are you emotionally attached to AI code?

3 points by CurleighBraces 49 days ago | 6 comments

One thing I expected from the AI era was a decrease in emotional attachment to code reviews.

My assumption was that AI-generated code would make reviews easier because criticism of the code wouldn't feel like criticism of the author.

Instead, I've repeatedly seen people strongly defend AI generated code, and sometimes even defend AI explanations that are demonstrably incorrect.

Is anyone else seeing this?

If so, what do you think is driving it? How are you handling it within your team?

Also, has anyone found effective ways to reduce the influence of "leading question" prompts?

I very much want to keep human in the loop style paradigm within our teams, but at the same time I do wonder if my life would get a whole lot easier if instead we jumped on the "loop/factory/vibe" train.

al_borland 48 days ago |

My co-workers are well aware they’re taking a short cut if using AI, and take it well if they get called out on it producing junk.

My assumption is the push back comes when the expectation is if the AI made code was bad, that means the person who submitted it missed something. So they got “caught” being lazy and don’t want to admit it.

> I very much want to keep human in the loop style paradigm within our teams, but at the same time I do wonder if my life would get a whole lot easier if instead we jumped on the "loop/factory/vibe" train.

I would imagine it gets easier, until it doesn’t. To jump on that train you need to be fully ready to not care, good or bad.

Several years ago my managers wanted me to move up into a management role. I gave it a shot, but hated it. I went back to an IC role and decided to stop caring so much, to avoid being put in that position repeatedly. Let the managers do their thing, and if things are a mess, then things are a mess. I didn’t quite grasp the level of apathy some people have. I’ve found it much more stressful to sit back than to engage and try and fix everything. I feel like handing the wheel over to AI would go much the same way.

rh94 49 days ago |

Emotionally attached … no, but damm I would not want to write code by hand again. I stand behind principles and years of development, so if enough time spent with ai on a task I would be happy to defend its quality, as I believe newcomers/juniors will try as well so I guess expected?

CurleighBraces 49 days ago | |

This reply makes me think that my original post also comes across as overly dismissive of reasonable debate around code changes.

As you've stated, years of development has made me expect a certain level of discourse as people will inevitably want to defend the quality if they think it's reasonable.

Maybe my post is a form of AI psychosis in itself....

iExploder 49 days ago | |

Code was garbage before AI, now it's still garbage, but I don't have to take it out anymore. Amazing.

Juniors are doomed, nobody is writing anything ever again by hand.

zloy88 49 days ago |

The most of my co-workers stay skeptical to AI outcome all the time, so your described "problems" don't exist at my work. I am just someone who likes to trust AI, at least under the circumstances that it proved it's statements. I am emotionally attached to the new way of work though, because my life became way more stress free since then.

da-x 49 days ago |

I am more emotionally attached to the _outcome of the use_ of that code than the code itself.