The author expresses a deep sense of loss regarding the changing landscape of programming due to the rise of AI tools that can generate code more efficiently than human programmers. They voice frustration over the way these tools have commodified programming, reducing skilled developers to roles akin to quality control inspectors. The author specifically addresses the 40-something demographic, highlighting the gap between their experience and the skills of younger programmers who leverage advanced tools like Warp, Cursor, Claude, and ChatGPT. As the piece unfolds, the author reflects on the emotional and creative aspects of coding that are at risk of being lost. They reminisce about the tactile joy of writing code by hand, debugging through sleepless nights, and feeling pride in one’s creations. The piece carries a tone of resignation, acknowledging that while the author doesn’t celebrate the era of AI-driven development, they also can’t oppose it. The inevitability of change is framed as a natural process, yet the author invites readers to mourn what they see as the end of a cherished craft. They suggest that future generations may not grasp the significance of hand-coding, comparing the craft to an artifact from a bygone era.