The Real Reason Why Some Dev Companies Are Forcing AI
Source: Dev.to
Background
I originally posted this on my blog. I haven’t encountered any client or company that forces me to use AI, and that isn’t the reality for everyone in the industry.
Reddit anecdote
A recent Reddit post from a coder who lost interest after being forced to use AI resonated with me:
“Within the span of maybe 2 months my corporate job went from ‘I’ll be here for life’ to ‘Time to switch careers?’ Some exec somewhere in the company decided everyone needs to be talking to AI, and they track how often you’re talking with it. I ended up on a naughty list for the first time in my career, despite never having performance issues. I explained to my manager and his response was to just ask it meaningless questions.”
Conversations with former coworkers
When I caught up with some ex‑coworkers, one story stood out. After the usual chit‑chat, a former teammate shared that his company was encouraging the use of AI—not as aggressively as the Reddit example, but still promoted as a productivity boost.
The real reason
The underlying motive turned out to be financial. One of the company’s founders was also investing in an AI startup, and the tool they were pushing was the very product from that startup. If you view AI as just another subscription service driven by profit, the hype makes more sense.
Why productivity isn’t the whole story
It’s easy to get caught up in AI hype and forget that coding is more than shipping lines of code quickly. Good coding involves:
- Clear communication
- Thoughtful problem‑solving
- Knowing when to say no
None of these qualities show up in AI usage metrics.
Further reading
I wrote Street‑Smart Coding: 30 Ways to Get Better at Coding to share the skills I wish I’d learned earlier—skills that help you become a confident, hype‑proof coder.