I mean maybe but... There's nothing forcing you to use Claude or what have you to play around is there? I mean an employer might force you to use it but you don't have to in your free time. That's one way I comfort myself lol
You’re right. But the treat was having a hobby that was also professional development. People in other industries have to take courses, study through dreary textbooks… I got to do something I enjoy and get professional benefit. That’s the shine we’re rapidly losing.
I can't comment on the enjoyment aspect, but I'd argue that writing code still confers professional benefits. It might not be the most economical way to ship code [citation needed] but it's still the best way to understand code, and understanding code will remain professionally relevant for a long time yet.