This is a profound and emotionally charged essay on finance and technology. The author is not only a top-tier AI engineer, a core developer of the DeepSeek operators, but also a thinker with deep insights into technological ethics, personal destiny, and the future of society.
As an economist and financial journalist, I will break down this "inner monologue of a tech professional" into five dimensions, analyzing the economic logic, career transformations, and social risks it encompasses in plain language.
Summary of the Main Points
The central conflict of the article is the exponential growth of AI capabilities, which is rapidly eroding the "moats" that protect human experts in specific fields, such as optimizing low-level code.
The author uses his own experience as an example to illustrate the forced transition from a "manual craftsman" to an "AI operator." Although he can maintain his job, the passion and sense of pride he once had for his craft are being worn away by machines. The article raises a broader concern: if AI technology is monopolized by a few giants, society could slide towards an extreme form of "cyberpunk," characterized by a huge wealth gap and social stratification, rather than the egalitarian "communism" that comes with greatly liberated productivity. For this reason, the author insists on developing open-source, accessible AI at DeepSeek to counter this monopolistic trend.
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Detailed Analysis
1. The Collapse of Professional Moats: From "Craftsman" to "Operator"
Plain Language: You used to be a top chef, valued for your twenty years of experience and skill in cooking. Now, a smart cooking machine can prepare meals faster, more accurately, and even better than you. Can you still keep your job? Yes, because you understand the ingredients and nutrition, and you can use the machine to create more complex dishes. But you can no longer enjoy the satisfaction that comes from executing the tasks manually.
In-depth Analysis:
- Accelerated Skill Devaluation: The "operator design" mentioned by the author (which can be understood as the most basic computational instructions in an AI system, similar to the design of car engine parts) was once a highly sought-after skill. However, AI systems like DeepSeek v4.1 can now independently read and analyze code, identify performance bottlenecks, and propose optimizations. This means that "knowing how to code" is no longer a barrier; "knowing how to write good code with AI" has become the new one.
- Shift from Executor to Decision-Maker: The author had to move from writing code himself to managing AI agents. This represents a fundamental change in the nature of work, where human value is no longer in repetitive, difficult tasks but in defining problems, evaluating outcomes, and integrating resources.
- Economic Implications: For professionals, "proficiency" is rapidly losing its value, while "judgment" and "integration skills" are becoming increasingly important. If your core competitiveness is merely in completing tasks faster than others, you are at high risk.
2. The Paradox of "Self-Revolution": Why Keep Progressing When You Know You Will Be Replaced?
Plain Language: It's like a martial artist who knows that the faster he trains, the easier it will be for a robot to surpass him. But he still trains hard because training brings him joy (dopamine release), and if he stops, the robot will still defeat him. The motivation is not to defeat AI but to avoid being eliminated.
In-depth Analysis:
- The Inevitability of Technological Progress: The author mentions that humans are "unhesitating in destroying themselves with technology," a classic example of the "prisoner's dilemma." Even if all engineers stopped, AI would continue to evolve through other means. Individual inaction would only leave one adrift in the tide of change.
- The Nature of Involvement: This "involvement" is not about inefficient repetition but about forced upgrading to keep up with technological progress. The author chooses to "revolt against himself" because he realizes that only the fastest can decide the next direction for technology.
- The Emotional Cost: This rational choice comes with significant psychological pain—the burying of one's talent. It highlights the human cost of technological advancement: we gain efficiency but lose the beauty of the process.
3. The Crisis in the Education System: When "Problem Solvers" Meet AI Copycats
Plain Language: Students used to learn by hand; they made mistakes and learned from them. Now, with AI, they can get a red sweater made in seconds. The result is that they learn to make requests but lose the ability to create things themselves. If the AI fails or they need to create something unique, they are helpless. Worse, if students only know how to generate messy code, systems become vulnerable.
In-depth Analysis:
- Erosion of Fundamental Engineering Skills: Over-reliance on AI for assignments leads to a lack of understanding of underlying logic, similar to the loss of core skills due to outsourcing. If a generation loses the ability to build systems from scratch, the resilience of the tech ecosystem decreases.
- The Efficiency Paradox of Poor Code: AI can generate code quickly, but if users lack engineering knowledge, the code is of poor quality and costly to maintain. This leads to a situation where "increased output efficiency" coexists with "decreased system stability." Future societies may be filled with systems that seem powerful but are actually fragile.
- The Urgency of Educational Reform: Education should teach not just how to get answers but how to verify them, understand underlying principles, and design systems. Critical thinking and system awareness will be more important than programming skills.
4. Social Structure Differentiation: Communism vs. Cyberpunk 2077
Plain Language: There are two possible futures:
1. Utopia (Communism): AI becomes as ubiquitous and affordable as electricity, with everyone having top-tier AI assistants, leading to a wealthy and equal society.
2. Dystopia (Cyberpunk 2077): Only a few companies (like OpenAI or Anthropic) own advanced AI, and the rest can only use inferior versions. The rich use AI for wealth, healthcare, and education, while the poor cannot afford it. This creates a cycle where only the wealthy can move up, locking others in poverty.
In-depth Analysis: Technological monopolies exacerbate inequality. In the industrial age, factories could be located anywhere; in the AI era, computing power, data, and algorithms are highly concentrated. Companies with the best AI control superproductive forces, and wealth will accumulate rapidly with them.
- New Mechanisms of Stratification: Social mobility depends on access to and quality of AI. Those with access to advanced AI will have a significant advantage in employment, entrepreneurship, and decision-making.
- The Redefinition of Power: Control over AI becomes more important than technology or intelligence. Those who control AI standards control the rules of society, which is a matter of politics and economics.
5. Open Source and Accessibility: The Last Line of Defense Against Monopoly
Plain Language: Why does the author persist with DeepSeek? Because he believes that "good things should be affordable and accessible to everyone." If only the rich have access to advanced AI, the world will become like Cyberpunk 2077. Open-source, free, and powerful AI can level the playing field and move society towards greater wealth. The author views this as crucial, even more so than preventing Hitler from developing the atomic bomb.
In-depth Analysis: Open source is not just about sharing technology; it's an economic strategy. By making AI open, DeepSeek can build a community, attract developers, lower the barrier for users, and gain a competitive advantage. It also fulfills its social responsibility by preventing technology monopolies.
- The Social Significance of Accessible AI: Open and affordable AI ensures that its benefits are shared, making it a public utility like water and electricity. This prevents social divisions and promotes overall productivity and fair distribution.
- The Values Behind Personal Choices: The author's stance reflects the values of some tech elites: technology should serve the well-being of all, not just a few. This is not the mainstream in the tech industry, but it is crucial. It reminds us to be vigilant against the potential for technology to undermine social structures.
Conclusion
This article is not just an engineer's personal reflection but also a warning about individual survival strategies and the future direction of society in the AI era.
- For Individuals: Do not be complacent about your skills; quickly learn to work with AI. Understand the underlying principles to collaborate effectively with it and guard against the degradation of basic abilities.
- For Society: We need to promote the widespread use of AI to prevent extreme social polarization. Education systems must reform to cultivate a new generation with system thinking and critical thinking.
- For the Industry: Open source and competition are key to preventing AI from becoming a privilege of the few. Companies like DeepSeek are working for commercial success but also for a healthier, more equitable tech ecosystem.
As the author says, "May the future world be peaceful." This requires the joint efforts of technology, policy, education, and everyone.