It’s absurd to claim that software engineers are obsolete just because AI models like o1-preview still spew out fictional libraries and incorrect functions. These models frequently get basic facts wrong, especially when the information isn’t widely available online. The so-called improvements in reasoning don’t fix the fundamental issue: these models have zero ability to verify whether the garbage they pull from their neural networks is accurate.

Let’s be clear—software engineers aren’t going anywhere. AI might be a tool, but it can’t replace the expertise and critical thinking that engineers bring to the table. The constant loop of “You’re absolutely correct, and I apologize for the oversight in my previous response. [Let me make another guess.]” only highlights how much AI still relies on guesswork rather than true understanding. It’s laughable to think that engineers are “cooked” when these models can’t even tell fact from fiction reliably. Engineers aren’t the ones who are “cooked”—it’s the hype around AI that’s overdone.