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Replacing Engineering Managers with AI Agents

engineeringcalm.com

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Re: Replacing Engineering Managers with AI Agents

#21

Post by digging »

GravityLab wrote: post #9
staunton wrote: post #4

So I guess the coders get replaced first after all? Sounds like a more natural progression. There's more of them and it's easier/faster to tell if their work is getting done. And they don't need any "empathy" while writing their code (or so they think at least, is what seems to explain a lot of UI decisions...)

Realistically if there's no more need for software engineers then I think what follows next is that most forms of labor are being replaced by machines. There's already videos of machines hooked up to LLMs doing incredible things, so it's not much of a leap to go from this to machines taking orders, making food, working assembly line jobs, driving, etc.

Yeah honestly I feel for people whose jobs have been lost to automation in the past, but mostly because everyone else's didn't. If my job evaporates because AI can actually do it more efficiently, I'm not sure how much longer "work" is going to be a thing like it is now[1]. And personally I can't wait for that - but again, I'm in a privileged position where I won't starve immediately. My actual hope is that we're crossing a threshold where we stop expecting that people have to "earn" their right to stay alive through some form of labor exploitation.

[1] I'm basing this off the assumption that other IC jobs and low-level management jobs don't have a significantly greater cognitive demand than software engineering. I could be wrong.

Re: Replacing Engineering Managers with AI Agents

#23

Post by faichai »

sarchertech wrote: post #15

"Morning Stand-up Meetings: Instead of traditional stand-ups, engineers log into their systems and provide a brief update by sending a short voice message. EMAI processes these updates, analyzing voice tones for stress or uncertainty, ensuring it can provide resources or assistance if an engineer faces challenges. Task Allocation: Using real-time data on each engineer's strengths, past performance, learning curve, an…

100%. You can pry my people skills from my cold dead hands.

Re: Replacing Engineering Managers with AI Agents

#25

Post by theendisney »

I see a video about muli-agent development, i didnt understand much of it but it was funny to see the agents had what use to be human job titles.

To get rid of managers you would need to delegate tasks it is bad at. Seems doable enough.

Fine tuning for empaty and social qualities also seems doable if you can certify, validate and gurantee it.

Human managers are useful to keep business logic dumb and stupid, AI would make things much more complex.

Also facinating is the option to say it like it is. There needs not be any hidden agenda aimed at promotion. The thing has tenure!

Re: Replacing Engineering Managers with AI Agents

#27

Post by throwaway914 »

sarchertech wrote: post #15

"Morning Stand-up Meetings: Instead of traditional stand-ups, engineers log into their systems and provide a brief update by sending a short voice message. EMAI processes these updates, analyzing voice tones for stress or uncertainty, ensuring it can provide resources or assistance if an engineer faces challenges. Task Allocation: Using real-time data on each engineer's strengths, past performance, learning curve, an…

It occurs to me that things will stay the same, or even get better. This thing will produce better liars. We're used to lying to our managers to get the support we want, and now we'll have an easier time with EMAI. Further, if you want less stress you'll pretend to have a deficiency and get lighter work allocated.

In 2.0 they'll catch on and implement performance improvement plans that lead to separation.

If I try to pretend this thing has good intentions at heart, I think it'd be great for some folks to improve based on AI recommendations where they can shed their ego. Harder to do in front of a project manager.

I would expect AI regulation to speed up real quick if it starts making middle management redundant :-)

Re: Replacing Engineering Managers with AI Agents

#28

Post by dontupvoteme »

GravityLab wrote: post #9
staunton wrote: post #4

So I guess the coders get replaced first after all? Sounds like a more natural progression. There's more of them and it's easier/faster to tell if their work is getting done. And they don't need any "empathy" while writing their code (or so they think at least, is what seems to explain a lot of UI decisions...)

Realistically if there's no more need for software engineers then I think what follows next is that most forms of labor are being replaced by machines. There's already videos of machines hooked up to LLMs doing incredible things, so it's not much of a leap to go from this to machines taking orders, making food, working assembly line jobs, driving, etc.

software is cheap and low risk, anything in the physical world is absolutely not.

taking orders - yes, but there are no moving parts or liability there.

for software you also generate N solutions and evaluate each of them to shore up weaknesses in the current, very nascent, technology. microsoft is sure to be going down this path.

Re: Replacing Engineering Managers with AI Agents

#29

Post by clnq »

sarchertech wrote: post #15

"Morning Stand-up Meetings: Instead of traditional stand-ups, engineers log into their systems and provide a brief update by sending a short voice message. EMAI processes these updates, analyzing voice tones for stress or uncertainty, ensuring it can provide resources or assistance if an engineer faces challenges. Task Allocation: Using real-time data on each engineer's strengths, past performance, learning curve, an…

Once LLMs replace programmers, the only limit to stand-ups will be computation power. You could have 10 stand-ups and hour, 5 sprints a day. Jira tickets will flow at database speeds!

Re: Replacing Engineering Managers with AI Agents

#30

Post by burkaman »

sarchertech wrote: post #15

"Morning Stand-up Meetings: Instead of traditional stand-ups, engineers log into their systems and provide a brief update by sending a short voice message. EMAI processes these updates, analyzing voice tones for stress or uncertainty, ensuring it can provide resources or assistance if an engineer faces challenges. Task Allocation: Using real-time data on each engineer's strengths, past performance, learning curve, an…

Has to be satire, I honestly cannot imagine someone writing that Conflict Resolution line with a straight face.
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