Fired for not keeping up with AI-powered colleagues: Young developer speaks out

The way people write code is changing quickly. Artificial intelligence is helping programmers work faster, but not everyone can keep up. A young Indian tech worker recently shared how this pressure affected their job, starting a bigger discussion about AI and work expectations.

Struggling to keep up during probation

The developer, who has over two and a half years of experience, said they were let go after completing their three-month probation period. On Reddit, they wrote:

“I recently switched to a company; my probation of three months was over, and I got the news that I am being terminated, as I am not as fast as other developers.”

They explained that while colleagues were using AI tools to speed up their coding, they struggled to understand the product and did not get proper guidance from seniors.

Reddit post:

“Others were writing code with the help of AI, and I was not able to match their speed, nor was I able to understand the product in such a short period of time. I was not getting such feedback from my manager.”

Even putting in extra hours on weekends was not enough, and by the time they started using AI tools, it was already too late.

Feeling shattered and lost

The experience left the techie feeling deeply uncertain about their career. Tasks they could handle during college now felt impossible.

“I am really shattered; I cannot even solve LIS in Leetcode, which I was able to solve during college days. Don't know if this field is for me. I am also a sole earner, have some money saved up, and joined this as it was remote, and I wanted to live with my family.”

Social media reactions and advice

The story gained attention online, and many people sympathized with the developer. Some suggested taking a short break before starting job applications again.

“I am so sorry to hear that. The only advice I can give is to take a 2-3 day break, then start prepping and applying,” one user wrote. Another added, “Dude, I fear the same. AI is too fast. Devs and other testers are doing a lot of coding. If it works, then it works. We are doomed.”

Others pointed out that speed should not be the only measure of a developer’s performance. “A piece of code should be judged by the quality and performance of the code, not how fast it was written. I wish you all the best in your job search,” one user commented.

Some also warned about overreliance on AI. “Don't lose hope. Wait till this Al slop spaghetti gets into the production environment and see the cybersecurity shitshow. Don't buy into the AI acceleration hype. It's definitely faster than normal, but the end product is always full of holes.”
Disclaimer: The Times of India does not independently verify the claims made by the individual featured in this story. The views expressed are those of the person sharing their experience and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Times of India.Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)