Addy Osmani on why engineers split in their joy over AI coding agents

Addy Osmani argues that engineers' reactions to AI coding agents depend on which of three joys they prize most: making things, understanding how they work, or feeling that their work matters.

He warns that if developers only pick among the suggestions agents offer without generating ideas themselves, their ideation skill erodes and they can end up directed by the agent. He also reframes grief over lost craft as evidence of real attachment to the work rather than a failure to adapt. This is a single report of Osmani's view; it does not include supporting data or independent verification.