December 29, 2025
Art vs autopilot
LLMs Are Not Fun
AI coding tools aren't fun? Internet erupts: art vs shortcuts
TLDR: A seasoned coder says AI tools drain the joy from programming, sparking a brawl between craft lovers and speed chasers. Most commenters call AI coding thrilling and empowering, with a few warning it’s joyless when forced at work—making this a real debate about passion versus productivity.
A veteran developer declares “LLMs are not fun,” comparing AI helpers to hiring someone to finish your jigsaw puzzle. Cue the fireworks. The crowd clapped back fast: one user called these tools “intellectual crack,” saying wild ideas are suddenly within reach. Another shot back with “That’s bait,” bragging they now whip out side projects in days. A calmer voice urged balance: use AI for boring parts, but don’t force it down everyone’s throat at work. For the uninitiated, LLMs are “large language models”—AI chatbots that can write code and explain things. The thread turned into art vs autopilot. Some sided with the author’s craft-first vibe, loving the deep joy of understanding every moving part. Others said tools are tools: “Typing is not fun,” argued one commenter, comparing the old romance of pencil-on-paper to today’s faster workflows—still caring about code, just shipping more ideas. There was silliness too: one user proudly said they got Claude (an AI) to control their home lights, like the world’s nerdiest party trick. Memes popped: “TaskRabbit puzzle” vs “intellectual crack.” The consensus? AI coding is either killing the joy… or making it dangerously fun. Depends if you’re here for craft or speed.
Key Points
- •The author is a software consultant who uses LLMs to advise clients and support projects.
- •They assert that LLMs diminish the enjoyment derived from deeply understanding and crafting code.
- •Mentoring human colleagues provides growth and reciprocal learning, which the author finds absent with LLMs.
- •Managing LLM outputs requires micromanagement to prevent poor results and derailment, described as frustrating.
- •Despite effective outcomes, the author believes LLM use comes at a personal cost to care for craft and joy in practice.