July 23, 2026
Bot or bogus? The comments erupt
I Think You Might Be Fooling Yourself with AI
AI productivity panic: some say it’s a superpower, others say it’s pure self-delusion
TLDR: The article argues many people only *feel* more productive with AI and points to research suggesting they may actually be slower, while also warning the business model may not last. In the comments, readers split hard between “this is anti-AI nonsense” and “yes, but only if you stop trusting the bot blindly.”
The article came in swinging with a cold shower for AI fans: maybe that magical feeling of getting more done with chatbot tools isn’t real at all. The author leans hard on a reported 2025 study saying developers felt faster with artificial intelligence, but were actually about 19% slower. Add in claims that big layoffs are being dressed up as “because of AI,” plus warnings that these tools may be wildly underpriced and financially unsustainable, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a comment-section brawl.
And oh, the crowd did not keep calm. One camp basically yelled, “this is absurd,” with critics blasting the piece as a one-dimensional anti-AI rant that ignores how useful the tools can be in real life. Another group went for a more nuanced take: yes, AI can help, but only if you don’t blindly trust it. As one commenter put it, you can go very fast or very slow—speeding ahead with code you barely understand, or slowing down and actually learning what’s happening. That became the thread’s accidental slogan.
The funniest twist? Some readers admitted AI may be best at weird side quests, not world-changing work—think restoring ancient video games or doing ridiculous language conversions no sane person would do by hand. So the vibe was less “AI will replace everyone tomorrow” and more “AI is either a miracle, a money pit, or a chaos goblin for hobby projects.” Basically: the tools may be powerful, but the comments were the real fireworks.
Key Points
- •The article argues that users may overestimate AI-driven productivity because subjective impressions are vulnerable to self-deception and bias.
- •It cites a late-2025 study that reportedly found developers felt faster using AI but were about 19% slower on the tasks measured.
- •The article says anecdotal claims and AI-attributed layoffs do not constitute reliable evidence that AI is increasing workforce productivity.
- •It claims some layoffs are being presented as AI-related despite broader economic correction and spending shifts toward AI resources.
- •The article questions the long-term financial sustainability of current AI services, citing subscription economics, heavy investment levels, energy use, and other externalities.