I’m a web developer — not even a particularly good one. I dropped out twice, loved Human Computer Interaction class (I guess now people call it UX?) and learned CSS when most of my friends studied PHP.
24 years later, I'm sitting in front of my screen, trying Claude Opus 4.5 and Gemini 3. It's quite awesome. But then the thought struck me. I never really tried to do anything other than programming. AI is going to take over my job, and I’m already in my 40s wondering if I can even find another one.
“No one makes horse-drawn carriages anymore. No one gets paid to shovel horse shit off the streets. Those used to be full-time jobs—people made horse feed, people designed parking lots for carriages. Those jobs just don’t exist anymore. And nobody is out there trying to bring them back.” — Neil deGrasse Tyson on Through Conversations Podcast.
Well, let's face it. A Computer was a legitimate position in a company back then. It was a real job mainly dominated by women. Now, it's just a box-shaped machine.
But we also took other people's jobs indirectly
My dad (bless his soul), was a civil contractor — a quite successful one if I might say. He managed to put his children through college. When I said "I want to be a programmer" at a high school event back then, he burst into laughter.
"A programmer? How much will they even pay you? You won’t get a proper salary! Either you become a civil contractor like me, a doctor, a lawyer, or a diplomat!"
Which I couldn’t really argue with, since in Indonesia, IT people weren’t really appreciated back then (and still aren't, I guess.)
In 2006, things started to change. The iPhone and Facebook changed my life in a weirdly funny way. Before, my life mostly revolved around Starcraft, Counter Strike, and playing drums (yes, I made a band with my friends and learned music because we wanted to get girlfriends). Still a nerd, switched to World of Warcraft, but suddenly saying "I know a bit of C++ and HTML" changed from "What a nerd" to "You're sexy." (Not kidding, I got laid because of that.)
In 2010, I noticed that companies no longer hired 10–30 accountants anymore. They hired 2–5 accountants + accounting software.
In 2015, I noticed that TV viewers were dwindling thanks to YouTube and Netflix.
In 2018, many offline stores in Indonesian malls were closing down thanks to Tokopedia.
These are the kinds of jobs we programmers took away. Maybe karma is real.
But then there’s one thing…
Yes, one thing: the need still exists.
When Neil said the whole horse industry fell apart, he only mentioned the horse industry — not the transportation industry. Those who understand transportation can adapt.
Accounting software accelerated the birth of new companies. Those who understand broadcasting can build podcasts and create content on YouTube and Netflix. Online marketplaces let mom-and-pop shops reach nationwide.
So what’s left for me?
A LOT. History shows that time is not kind to those who can’t adapt. AI is a tool introduced to humanity so we can progress, and it’s not without side effects.
Now I can (and must) learn and do more. Maybe learn management? Work out more since I have more time? Or learn more programming.
I realized it’s just another expansion — with a level cap increase. Because after all, just like I told my students: “Life is a Hardcore mode MMORPG, and God is the Game Designer.”
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