@worik @jaredwhite @justbob Functionally, I think comparing AI agents to power tools is a fair comparison. I like using power tools, but I know when to reach for a manual screwdriver, and I feel the same way about LLMs and agents of roughly the past half year.
One large issue with LLM assisted programming is its energy usage. I think the comparison is actually also pretty fair for that: powertools use more planetary resources and more energy, and they wreck the environment in many ways, especially if you consider that heavy machinery is just scaled-up powertools.
However, the metaphor kind of breaks when it comes to the other costs, both economic and societal. When I buy a power tool, I can keep using it until it breaks. Fortunately no subscriptions (yet). For the agentic LLM workflow to be fast enough, and for the powertool comparison to hold, you need a subscription from one of the big companies. Then there's copyright issues, loss of human skills, loss of jobs, etc, etc. I think it's completely reasonable to keep coding the "artisanal" way, as it is completely reasonable to eat vegan and to not travel needlessly.