Space exploration needs things to be better. Better propulsors. Better seals. Better materials. Or else the space capsule explodes and people die.

What the article is proposing is making programming worse, for no apparent benefit for anyone except those who sell AI data center cycles.

Good comp. Working with expensive materials and stuff that can explode while people are inside by necessity forces a greater scrutiny of good vs. bad ideas. You don't get that ideal balance between experimentation and wisdom when anyone can type anything into an editor at no cost.

You can make that argument about every single thing that is wasteful but can be justified as "research".

Sure, every bit of f--ing around is research, but ROI is far from constant.