AI's pace outstrips our ability to evaluate and adapt, a developer argues

A software developer argues that the core challenge of modern AI and tooling is not the technology itself but the widening gap between how fast it evolves and how fast individuals and institutions can meaningfully absorb it. While acknowledging genuine excitement about recent capabilities, the author notes that evaluation — deciding what is worth learning — has become the real bottleneck, not learning itself. This dynamic leaves developers cycling through tools without reaching deep expertise, resulting in codebases layered with outdated, poorly understood technology. The author points out that social norms, laws, professional identity, and institutions adapt over years or decades, while technology now iterates in months, making that lag increasingly consequential. The piece stops short of declaring a crisis, acknowledging that similar concerns were raised about the printing press, telegraph, and internet — all of which humanity ultimately absorbed.