I hear you. But consider this: substitute “LLM” in what you said above with “coworker” or “direct report”.
Does having a coworker automatically make a person dumb and no longer willing or able to grow? Does an engineer who becomes a manager instantly lose their ability to work or grow or learn? Sometimes, yes I know, but it’s not a foregone conclusion.
Agents are a new tool in our arsenal and we get to choose how we use them and what it will do for us, and what it will do to us, each as individuals.
You can substitute anything like “banana” or “parrot” for that and ask the same question.
Change of roles is a twist I didn’t suggest, it’s not related to my argument. I was talking about an engineering role. I’m not seeing an analogy with what you’re suggesting. Even less so does your suggested “immediately” resonate with me. Such transitions are rarely is immediate. Growth on an alternative career path is a different story.
The problem that I see here is that we’re not given that choice you’re considering. Take for example the recent Shopify pivot. It is now expected by the management because they believe the exaggerated hype, especially motivated during the ongoing financing crunch - in many places. So it’s not a lawnmower we’re talking about here but an oracle one would need to be capable of challenging.
Does having a coworker automatically make a person dumb and no longer willing or able to grow? Does an engineer who becomes a manager instantly lose their ability to work or grow or learn? Sometimes, yes I know, but it’s not a foregone conclusion.
Agents are a new tool in our arsenal and we get to choose how we use them and what it will do for us, and what it will do to us, each as individuals.