When Code Remembers What You’re Paid to Forget
By Nigel Dsouza
In a world where infrastructure deploys itself, AI models write our p...
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Very interesting thoughts, Nigel!
Who wouldn't want to leave behind a good legacy!
Generative AI may yet prove Shakespeare wrong......not just the evil that programmers do will live after them; the good and the indifferent will too.....
It is a sobering truth that in today’s high-tech world, our AI and automation systems remember everything we create. They do not forget — even when we do. As engineers, we often strive for a healthy work-life balance, separating our personal and professional lives. But once we leave the workplace, we emotionally detach from the systems we’ve built. The problem is: the systems don’t.
Modern AI tools are designed to learn from our behavior. They silently store our past decisions — and even our mistakes — long after we’ve moved on. This brings up serious questions: Who ensures that these systems carry forward the right intent once we’re gone? Should machines, like humans, be allowed to forget?
Today, building a system is like leaving a digital version of yourself behind. And that memory — unedited and permanent — could be misused. The challenge is clear: we must design with care, aware that what we create may outlive us. Whether that’s a gift or a risk… only time will tell.
This was a really thoughtful take. The Severance analogy caught me off guard at first, but the more I read, the more it made sense—especially the idea of our decisions sticking around in infra long after we’ve moved on. It’s something we kind of know, but rarely say out loud. Also really liked the bit about infra not needing to be permanent by default. Subtle but solid perspective. Appreciate you sharing this!
This is hauntingly brilliant, Nigel. The metaphor of Severance fits perfectly — we may mentally clock out, but the systems we build never sleep.
Excellent points
Thanks for sharing. An interesting read.
Interesting read.
I specifically liked the section that said code is the consciousness.
Well said. It was a very interesting read Nigel!
Very well written Nigel, Brilliant. Thank you for sharing.
Literally leaving behind a legacy.