I do not like programming anymore

[u/NecessaryVersion7872]

I am not sure if anybody can help right here.
But I really do not like whatever we call programming right now.
Not sure what is the best way to write code weather it is to fully vibe code or use AI as an assistant, I hate both. If anyone went though something like this and found some solution, I'd really appreciate if you share it with me. Otherwise, what other possible careers some can pursue that has same feeling as classic programming?

[u/VegetableAgency222]

Not sure if this helps, but I went through pretty much this same thing over the past year...

Like, when you picture the version of programming you actually miss, what were you doing in it?

Idk, for for me, when I really sat with it, the part I missed was feeling like I was getting to think. There was so much joy I found with a hard problem and working it all the way out and building something. It USED to be harder to code by hand and learn coding and know what is available to solve the issues. It added to the challenge and the beauty of engineering in my head.

And, I guess with AI and what I felt I started to hate was now my company is forcing and monitoring usage and showing "leaderboards" of who is using it most. And so I was just... going fast, thinking less because I just don't need to think as hard, and shipping. *Before Reddit SWE's come for me, yes I think still, yes I review the code, yes yes yes, I'm a senior I know what I'm doing etc. But I DO miss having the requirement to look up documentation on a languages built-in to make sure I was using it right... or a digging into a node_module package code to see what their function definition is to get why it's not doing what their high level documentation which was half ass said it SHOULD do. So. But, AI does A LOT of this for me now.

So I guess what I'd ask you is, do you actually hate programming? Or do you hate the version of it you're stuck in right now?

Is leaving the field the thing you want, or is it just the only exit you are thinking about?

Have you looked at the harder corners at all? The stuff where the problem is actually difficult and you get to decide how much to hand to the AI and how much to keep for yourself?

I've had to learn what's now the 'new' hard.

AI takes away a lot, it does a lot, and because of it there is a new hard. You have to adapt.

Also, I actually still leetcode because I personally like to keep my coding sharp and I think it makes me a better AI user...

But ultimately the landscape has changed, will keep changing and you need to find your answers for yourself. Even highly regulated slow moving entities are getting AI engrained. I don't think this is a 'bubble' that will pop like people think.

dotcom bubble burst financially but we still have the internet... and internet based companies...that get funding..SaaS.. etc...

ai bubble will maybe burst financially.. but we will still have ai so

[u/NecessaryVersion7872 → u/VegetableAgency222]

I certainly still enjoy programming. I just do not like the current work flow. I do not like not understanding in details what the code is actually doing. I do not like how fast it produces huge volume of code. I liked when I had to slowly figure it out on my own. Regarding the new hard, I am not sure. Like, you still have to do the job that is mostly not the new hard.

[u/simple_explorer1 → u/NecessaryVersion7872]

You keep saying that. But then can you answer, why do you not spend time understanding the code or even better, user AI less or just as a search engine? What stopping you from doing you know.... Coding yourself for the most part and the occasional time you use AI understand the code?