Why software engineers are grieving
The article argues that software engineers are grieving the loss of professional identity and meaning as AI coding tools disrupt their craft, drawing parallels to the psychological stages of grief.
Background
- The post is by Jim Grey, a longtime software engineer and blogger who writes about the human side of tech and software engineering culture.
- It reflects a growing mood in the industry: mass layoffs (2022–2025), the rise of AI coding assistants (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, etc.), and the sense that the craft of engineering is being devalued or automated away.
- "Grieving" refers to engineers losing not just jobs but identity, autonomy, and the creative satisfaction of building software — stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) are applied to this professional loss.
- The piece is part of a wider conversation on tech forums (Hacker News, Blind, Reddit) where engineers express anxiety about AI replacing junior roles, the erosion of "10x engineer" status, and the shift from craftsmanship to commodity labor.