A friend came over last week. He works in technology. He had the look of someone who had just discovered something important and needed to tell someone about it immediately.
We sat down. Pappettan was already there, as he usually is, with his tea.
Friend: (leaning forward) It is finally happening. AI is replacing engineers. One of the biggest technology companies in the world. Thousands of engineers. The machines are writing the code now.
Me: What does that mean for the engineers?
Friend: (waving his hand) That is the point. They do not need as many anymore. The AI does the work.
Pappettan: (without looking up) How did the engineers take it?
Friend: They loved it. Almost all of them were using it every single day. Not just for small things. Real work. Architecture. Testing. Documentation. The adoption was extraordinary.
Pappettan: (nodding slowly) And the AI. Is it still there?
Friend: (pausing) They shut it down.
Pappettan: The AI that was replacing the engineers.
Friend: Well. Yes. But it is not the same thing.
Pappettan: (setting down his cup) Why did they shut it down?
Friend: (shifting slightly) The cost. Every prompt, every question, every review adds up. At that scale, across thousands of engineers using it seriously, the bill came in much larger than anyone had planned for.
Pappettan: So it cost more than they budgeted for.
Friend: Much more.
Pappettan: (quietly) And why do companies usually let people go?
My friend had no answer to that. I am not sure I did either.
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