February 13, 2026
Big thing or big nothing?
Something Big Is (Not) Happening
AI boom or bedtime story — some say it’s here, others say it’s hype
TLDR: A reflective post says AI nails code but still bungles tiny, real-world details, questioning whether “the big moment” is actually here. Commenters clash: some claim AI is already replacing people, others mock retrofitted narratives and hype callbacks, turning the thread into a lively fight over jobs, trust, and what “progress” really means.
A moody essay wonders if the “big AI moment” is happening or just playing pretend, riffing on how chatbots still botch tiny details (like spelling “strawberry”) yet crush at coding. The author talks about “Stumpers” — tricks that confuse AI — and paints programming as the one place machines truly shine. Cue the comments: chaos.
One camp swings in yelling, “It’s not a prediction — it’s happening.” User mchusma says they’ve already replaced people with AI in real work, not theory. Another camp calls the piece a wink at a recently viral post, with mellosouls dropping a breadcrumb trail to the earlier hype-fest here. Then things get philosophical: AreShoesFeet000 torches the idea that you can map the future by remixing yesterday, calling that logic “insane.” Meanwhile, irdc delivers a chill: as AI levels up, “humanity” becomes the last stubborn puzzle. And in true internet form, someone drops an ASCII bird mid-thread like a mic check, and the crowd… weirdly loves it.
So what’s the vibe? Hype vs. hard reality. True believers say the takeover is already quiet and boring — just your job, but faster. Skeptics say the bots still fumble the “little things” that make big decisions trustworthy. Everyone agrees on one thing: the drama is very much happening — even if the big thing isn’t.
Key Points
- •The article argues that AI often fails on small, precise tasks despite broad competence.
- •It describes a practice of creating “stumpers” to reveal predictable LLM limitations.
- •Programming is presented as a domain with clear success criteria where AI performs strongly.
- •The piece contrasts programming’s determinism with law’s interpretive nature, where high-stakes decisions require human judgment.
- •AI assistants are deemed useful for legal research and overviews but not for critical, high-risk decisions.