GoKawiilEssay argues programmers should reject AI tools the way artists have
A blog post titled 'Programming Isn't Special' contrasts the creative industry's broad pushback against AI—writers' strikes, artist open letters, musician lawsuits—with many programmers' continued use of AI coding tools despite disliking them. The author contends this double standard rests on a false distinction, arguing that programming is itself a form of Art and citing John Berger's concept of 'mystification' from 'Ways of Seeing' to challenge the idea that functional work can't be artistic.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The piece suggests that framing code as merely functional, rather than creative, may be used to justify adopting AI tools that programmers themselves say make them miserable—an argument that could resonate amid ongoing industry debates about AI's role in technical work. It implicitly calls on developers to apply the same ethical scrutiny to AI that other creative fields have, though this remains the author's interpretation rather than a documented shift in programmer behavior.
- The essay compares creative industries' resistance to AI with programmers' comparative acceptance of it.
- It argues that programming qualifies as Art and should be treated with the same ethical concerns as other creative work.
- It draws on John Berger's 'Ways of Seeing' to dispute the idea that functional work cannot be artistic.
Source: blog.glyph.im — Glyph Lefkowitz, 2026-10-09
Published there as: “Programming Isn't Special”
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