In engineering, trust starts long before code. It starts when what we say has value, when a team knows that if they say something is proven, that if we commit to a functionality, a way of working, good practices or a code of ethics, we do it with the real intention of complying with it, and that if we don't know something, we are able to say it, look for the answer and find the best way to move forward.
In times of artificial intelligence, this is probably going to be even more important. It may seem that machines will be more and more protagonists, but my feeling is just the opposite: the more capable they are, the more necessary human values will be. Philosophy, ethics, responsibility and the way we behave are going to weigh more and more, because it will be easier to generate code, documentation, analyses, proposals or complete products at a speed that not long ago seemed impossible.
But producing more does not necessarily mean producing better. One of the things we're discovering when working with AI is that products never run out. There is always a possible improvement, a pending refactoring, a new functionality, an analysis that can provide more information or an experience that can be made easier. At first we looked at AI with some fear, wondering if it was going to replace us. Now another equally important question appears: what happens when we are able to go much faster.
And here the word is essential again. Our word is what allows others to trust our judgment even when they can't review every technical decision, every line of code, or every reasoning behind a value proposition. Because in the end it is impossible to see everything, control everything and validate everything with the same level of detail. Trust in a team is not built only with processes, it is built with people who do what they say.
Giving our word does not mean always getting it right. It means not hiding when we make mistakes, because we are going to make mistakes. It means notifying as soon as possible when something gets complicated, adding value as soon as possible, not promising to look good, not building a façade, not hanging medals that do not correspond and thinking about the common good of the team and the product.
Let us not forget that we are here to create software, build solutions and help companies and people to do things better. AI can greatly accelerate that path, but it cannot replace the trust that is born when someone responds for what they do.
The first value that engineers need in this new stage is the word. Because in a world where it will be increasingly easy to generate convincing, different, and seemingly accurate answers, the difference will be in the people we can trust.
And that his word continues to have value.
Word.
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