AI state of the union: Reflections Part 2
14 Apr 2026
Reflections whilst watching: An AI state of the union: We’ve passed the inflection point & dark factories are coming with Simon Willison.
20 mins to 40 mins.
20 mins to 40 mins.
- The bit that used to take the longest is no longer the bottleneck: Spec to implementation from 3 weeks to 3 hours.
- We can test assumptions about products and features so much faster. We can put together UI/UX prototypes faster than ever before.
- User research with real humans still matters.
- Group brainstorming with AI is helpful, come up with all the obvious stuff. Then ask for 20 more. While it runs out it does help you point your own thinking in a direction. It creates junk yet sometimes the junk creates a spark.
- Using coding agents well is using my 25 years of experience is mentally exhausting. Finding our new limits is a new skill.
- I get great results because they are amplifiers of existing experience.
- This is gonna take two weeks it's not worth it can move to this is gonna take 20 minutes so it might be worth it.
- Throw tasks that you assume the AI can't do it and see what happens.
- What happens with junior engineers?
- Thoughtworks ran an offsite.
- Good for seniors as it amplifies their experience.
- Good for juniors because onboarding is less costly/timely, can hire more juniors.
- Not so good for mid-career developers. They are in the most trouble.
- Thoughtworks ran an offsite.
- The way forward for mid-level experience roles: How do I help this make me better? People worry about skills atrophy (if the AI is doing it then you're not learning anything). If you're worried you push back at it. Be mindful about how to apply this technology. How can I use it to amplify my own skills, to learn new things and take on much more ambitious projects?
- Simon's level of ambition has shot up. The initial learning curve is much shorter so it's easier to invest in new tech and approaches.
- The only universal skills is being able to roll with the changes.
- Agents have no agency. Humans have agency. Humans decide what makes sense for themselves to act.
- I want someone to have used software for months before I use it, yet most projects I haven't used it. It's interesting how we use the product less because we are less involved in building it. Do we need a proof of usage label from the developer?
Simon Tomes
Community Lead at MoTaverse
he/him
Hello, I'm Simon. Since 2003 I've had various roles in testing, tech leadership and coaching. I believe in the power of collaboration, creativity and community. 🎓 MoT-STEC qualified.
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Debrief the week in Quality via a community radio show hosted by Simon Tomes and members of the community
