TL;DR: AI makes it easier to create software, but building something truly valuable still requires thought, creativity, and effort. While AI can speed up development, the small details that make a product great still demand attention.

Part of me thinks this could be the end of software as we know it—anyone can now think simple software into existence. But let’s be real, software was already pretty accessible before. Sure, it’s even more so now, but it’s not like we’re jumping from punch cards to modern programming. The real challenge remains: creating something novel and engaging. Just because I can speak a tic-tac-toe game into existence doesn’t mean anyone else will be excited about it, except maybe the first time I do it.

Even though it’s easier than ever to create something, creating something good is still a challenge. A few weeks ago, during an AI-driven creation frenzy, I decided to do my usual 20-minute workout but ended up building a workout timer first. Typical, right? It took me 25 minutes to knock out the timer, and I tot my workout in—I was thrilled with myself.

The next day, I went to use the timer again, but since the workout was embedded in the timer, I had to update the code. Over the next week, I realized I needed the countdown to be bigger on desktop, I wanted to see what movement was coming up next, I needed an audio cue for when the interval was ending in case I wasn’t looking at my screen, and I needed more workout types… There are so many small decisions that combine to create a positive experience for a particular type of person in order to make a good product.

AI definitely makes it easier to get started, but, no surprise, creating something of quality still requires thoughtfulness and hard work.