I'm starting to accept AI more and more

My first approach to AI

My very first approach to AI was some 4 years ago with the release of ChatGPT, if I remember correctly; at that time I was at college. You could consider me a very excited person about tech topics or just programming/coding in general, always too strict with "good practices" of those times, so when I discovered ChatGPT, I was impressed with how it works and the results it could get, but I am only talking about general browsing and text redaction/resumes; when it came to generating code, I was very skeptical and deep inside a bit scared that it could just do what it takes me time and effort in just a matter of seconds with no care about my "good practices," just generating whatever code it worked and getting to the result. A somewhat functional result at that time. Still, I did not trust AI to do meaningful software engineering and did though it was overhyped and would probably get ignore after some months with it's finale being just a text redactor or something similar.

Getting behind and slowly watching how I was not that good at programming

When I finally finished college, graduated, and got myself in the search of a job, 2024, AI was growing bigger, and it already was becoming a tool to recognize. I was still skeptical and refused to accept that statement as such. I wanted to keep working like the idea I had in my head, that idea implanted by bootcamps, media, and people who experienced the boom of web development from the previous decade, those times when learning JavaScript was enough to get a job, you just had to show your "Pokedex app" or something similar.

I was struggling to get a job at tech for personal reasons, insecurities, and different opportunities that were given to me. That year I ended up working as a public servant for the first time. The job was not bad, but my mindset made it like a "wrong" choice to me, like a "waste" of time, a "waste" of what I had studied, and a "waste" of my "time." I really had negative thoughts that cost me a good time at that job (I did enjoy a bit of it, but I REALLY complained a lot about such tiny details; perhaps I was too young and naive at 22).

I kept working without using AI or keeping it at a minimum, refusing to accept what I was watching on social media: those big tech companies claiming this was big and it could replace junior developers or just change how software engineering was going to be done. I was refusing to accept it just by pure ego, refusing to accept things have changed, and even if they were not going to change, if there was no AI, maybe I was just not enjoying the reality of what software engineering truly is.

I spent 7 months of unemployment in 2024 and a bit of 2025. When I got a new job in February 2025, I was once again excited to work in tech. It was a local company, pretty small, with a small team of 3 developers, and with me the number raised to 4. I was expecting to enjoy and live forever happily at this job, making progress until I could move forward to something better, something bigger and more challenging. Time moved forward, some weeks passed, some months passed, and slowly I was losing joy. That idea of what software development is was starting to fade, to crumble, to become dull. Slowly I was thinking that maybe I was wrong about software development, that I was mistaken and incorrectly created a dream in my head about a perfect career, an always exciting job where I was happy every day. This started to affect me; I was not enjoying my work, I was overengineering things with my "best practices," I was not as productive as I imagined, and I was still refusing to adopt AI or move forward to the illusion that I created about a software developer.

This cost me my happiness for some months, getting into despair, into apathy, and refusing to let go of my ego. My coworkers did adopt AI and were getting results or at least getting the job done. I was excluded from most of the projects because they did not trust my skills, and I slowly refused to participate in more projects. I did not care anymore about my career; I was losing hope and even wishing I had done other things with my life and that I should have taken other paths. It really made me sad at those times.

Eventually I look down on myself. I did not want to be at that place. I did not feel appreciation for my coworkers, not because I was looking to get it, but because I was paranoid about them, making conspiracy theories or just thinking they dislike me. I did not wish to be at that job anymore and quit by October 2025. Not knowing what to truly do now.

Indie developer experience

From November 2025 to February 2026 I spend most of my days reflecting, resting, and working at baulchino.com, my only project at that time. It really gives me joy, and I consider it the best thing I have ever built. When I quit my job in 2025, I had the realization that I'm probably not going to enjoy working at tech but rather just work on my personal ideas and build things for fun, always having the final word and leading my project however I want. I never made money during that time, or not life-changing money to sustain myself. I enjoyed those months, even though I did get a bit sad, but when money was running low, I was looking for whatever job was available, and I no longer cared about my career. I even wanted to restart everything as if I had never gone to college; maybe working at the cinema could be fun, I thought, but life did offer me something different.

Public servant

Since February 2026 I have been working as a public servant for my state. I may talk about this in a different post, but it was the restart I needed, a new challenge, and time to reflect about my life. I'm sorry for not being able to update baulchino or create new software; this job is quite time-consuming, but I feel better now.

What does this have to do with AI?. I deviated from the topic, but it made me realize AI won over me; it is not something I can compete with anymore, but it is not something to replace me. It is something I must learn to use and adopt. AI is my ally, not my enemy. I am not in control of all things nor can I plan everything and expect it to work with no issues. Just like water, I should take whatever shape I'm in. Always moving forward and looking for a better future, keeping hopes up for the best and being grateful for what I have.

I will be using AI more and more to generate my ideas and share them as I wish. AI agents are awesome, and they are a cool tool to use. Expect more from me, and if not, I may have found something more joyful in my life.

Thank you for reading!