I agree with this. At a higher level of abstraction, you’re still doing the fundamental problem solving. Low-level machine language or high-level Java, C++ or even Python, the fundamental algorithm design is still entirely done by the programmer. LLMs aren’t being used to just write the code unless the user is directing how each line or at least each function is being written, often times you can just describe the problem and it solves it most of the way if not entirely. Only for really long and complex tasks do the better models really require hand-holding and they are improving on that end rapidly.

That’s not a higher level of abstraction, it’s having someone do the work for you while doing less and less of the thinking as well. Someone might resist that urge and consistently guide the model closely but that’s probably not what the collective range of SWEs who use these models are doing and rapidly the ease of using these models and our natural reluctance to take on mental stress is likely to make sure that eventually everyone lets LLMs do most or all of the thinking for them. If things really go in that direction and spread, I foresee a collective dumbing down of the general population.