Fuck it, make it anyway
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
A developer rejects generative AI to keep making things the hard way for the joy of it.
Joel Auterson describes a week-long crashout triggered by generative AI's devaluation of programming and game making. He finds no joy or fulfillment using AI tools. A chat with designer Shad, who builds the Uncamera iOS app without AI, clarifies three paths: use AI unhappily, stop making things, or continue doing it the hard way for personal fulfillment. He chooses the last, stating that's why we make anything.
What commenters are saying
Top comment finds the conclusion 'uninteresting' and shallow. Two camps emerge: those who avoid AI for pride in craft, and those who embrace AI as an editor, enabling faster iteration and better abstractions. One commenter claims a 200k LOC app built in four months with AI, arguing code review is unnecessary. Others push back that execution still matters more than speed. The thread reflects the broader tension between enjoying the process and leveraging tools for output.