Chat bots and AI agents are everywhere now, and while LLMs are great for contextualising information and rubber ducking, they are dead inside. They have no real-world experience and, regardless of what they may say, they don’t know what it feels like to be you.
Which is why I’ve been reflecting on what matters most: human interaction.
“Girl with Balloon”, by Banksy
I recently had to pick to a web host for a new business venture, and ended up choosing Arcustech over Hetzner, even though the latter tends to be my default. This “technical” decision was made not only because I want to support a small business that has been in the web hosting space for over twenty years, but because I know that if I have a question, I will get an answer from a human who cares.
Caring is perhaps the most human of qualities. It requires emotional intelligence, empathy, and the willingness to connect with another on a personal level.
The reason I still write and review code, rather than prompt it, is because I care about the integrity of my programs.
The reason I still design user interfaces by hand, meticulously pushing pixels around the screen, is because I care about end user experience.
And the reason I still write articles, documentation, and personal responses to every single support request I receive, all without using AI, is because I care about getting through to the human on the other side.