A software developer is questioning his future in software development, revealing that after 18 months of extensively using Anthropic's AI coding assistant, Claude Code, dependence on AI has taken away the enjoyment and satisfaction he once experienced while writing code.
Despite completing work faster and maintaining productivity, the developer says ,"I don't look forward to working anymore. And that's something I never thought I'd say."
In a post shared on Reddit under the Career community, the user explained, "It's been almost a year and a half since I started using Claude Code for work. And somewhere along the way, I feel like I stopped actually working."
Over time, he says he began feeling increasingly disconnected from the actual process of software development.
After 1.5 years of using Claude Code, I'm contemplating leaving software development.
by u/Far_Bid6046 in developersIndia
According to the developer, activities that once made programming exciting, such as debugging, solving complex technical problems and building new features, no longer provide the same sense of achievement. The satisfaction of overcoming a difficult coding challenge has gradually been replaced by spending most of the working day interacting with an AI assistant.
He said, "Now, I spend most of my day talking to Claude. Getting things done, reviewing code, making architectural decisions when necessary, testing features, and so on. I'm still getting the work done, probably even faster than before. But the process itself has become incredibly boring."
Although this approach has helped him complete tasks more quickly, he says, "The little dopamine hits I used to get from solving bugs, figuring out tricky problems, or building something new are almost completely gone."
The change has reportedly affected his enthusiasm for his profession. He admitted that he no longer looks forward to working, something he never expected to experience after choosing software development as a career.
The developer is now contemplating "whether I should move into an entirely different field. I haven't figured out what that would be, or even have a concrete idea of what I'd like to do next. It's just this growing feeling that if I want to enjoy my work and, ultimately, my life, I might have to find something else."
His post also raised a broader question about the impact of AI-powered coding tools on developers' professional satisfaction. While such tools can automate repetitive tasks, accelerate development and improve productivity, their growing role may also change how programmers experience their work.
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