These days, using AI feels a lot like when I first started working – back when I was a clueless rookie.

New technologies were always emerging then, and everyone said the world was about to change completely. No one really knew what the future held, though. We just learned, asked questions, and figured things out as we went along.

After 25 years, it seems like we're in a similar era. The difference is that I was in my twenties then, and now I'm approaching fifty.

I used that thought as inspiration for a novel.

《Again, Nobody Knows the Times》

It draws on a lot of my experiences as a developer, but it's not a straightforward retelling. I fictionalized it quite a bit.

And most of the writing was actually done by AI. I came up with the premise and direction, read through drafts, and pointed out any strange parts or things that needed fixing. It's interesting that I wrote a novel about AI using AI – I decided to be upfront about it.

While the story is set against the backdrop of development, ultimately it's about how people change as they age and how the world changes around them.

It's a pretty long piece, so I'm going to post it chapter by chapter instead of all at once.

Please read it casually and let me know if you have any thoughts or find anything strange.

Again, Nobody Knows the Times

Chapter 1

I was the oldest person in the meeting room.

I couldn't say exactly when that had happened.

Just a few years ago, there were managers older than me, and developers who were about ten years my senior. When meetings dragged on, they would be the first to sigh, and I would follow suit a little later.

Things were different now.

The team leader standing at the front of the meeting room was twelve years younger than me. Across from him, a developer in his late twenties tapped away on his laptop. The two people next to him looked about the same age.

A large monitor on the wall displayed unfamiliar names.

Agent.
Coding Assistant.
Context.
Vector Database.
MCP.

Some of them were familiar, some sounded vaguely familiar, and some were completely new to me.

The team leader moved the mouse and said,

“Starting next year, the way we develop software is likely going to change a lot.”

A young developer nodded.

“It's already changing a lot.”

“That’s right. In fact, AI is already writing a lot more code these days.”

The team leader switched screens.

A video played showing code being generated automatically within an IDE. A user typed a few lines of explanation, and a file was created, complete with test code and bug fixes.

Someone gasped softly.

“Wow.”

I stared at the screen without saying a word.

It wasn't a sight I was unfamiliar with.

I had been using AI to help me code more and more lately. At first, it was just for answering questions instead of searching online. But eventually, I started asking it to generate functions, write test code, and even explain what old pieces of code meant.

Sometimes, it would finish a day's worth of work in just a few minutes.

At first, I felt a little uneasy about it.

To be more precise, I was scared.

It seemed to do things that I had spent over twenty years learning with ease.

But humans adapt surprisingly quickly.

After a few days, I started thinking about how to ask it more specific questions. After a few weeks, I was figuring out how to best edit the code it generated.

These days, I actually felt more frustrated when I had to develop without AI.

The team leader said,

“In the future, developers may not need to write all the code themselves. The important thing will be deciding what to build, giving AI precise instructions, and verifying the results.”

I had heard that a lot.

On YouTube, in articles, even during company training sessions.

Developers won't disappear.
The role of developers will change.

Everywhere I looked, the message was the same.

I glanced down at my laptop screen.

A messenger notification caught my eye before the meeting materials did.

It was from the operations team.

Payment error has occurred again. Please confirm if it's the same symptom as last time.

I quickly read the message and closed the window.

I could check it after the meeting.

The team leader continued his explanation.

“Especially now, knowing a lot of technology by heart isn't as important as it used to be. You can just ask about anything you don't know.”

A young developer across from him smiled.

“I hardly ever read documentation these days. I just ask the AI first, and if I can’t find an answer there, then I look it up.”

A few people laughed.

I laughed along with them.

Strangely, the words stayed with me for a long time.

I rarely look at documents.

Me too.

These days.

But I couldn't figure out why those words felt a little uncomfortable.

"In the old days, you had to read books and take classes to learn a new framework."

The team leader looked at me and said.

"Was it even worse for senior developers?"

Everyone's eyes in the meeting room briefly focused on me.

I laughed.

"Back then... I just bought a book."

"Did you really learn development from a book?"

The youngest developer asked.

It was hard to tell if he was joking or serious.

"There wasn't much information online either."

"Wow."

That exclamation again.

This time, it sounded like it meant something different.

Like the expression of someone who'd just heard a Stone Age story.

I laughed again.

It didn't really bother me.

Sometimes, when I think back to those days, it feels like a distant past.

I would spread out a thick book on my desk and type out the example code line by line.

If it didn't work as written in the book, I'd look for typos.

If there were no typos, I'd start over from the beginning.

If that still didn't work, I'd ask the person next to me.

If they didn't know either, we'd look at the book together.

Sometimes, the book was wrong.

It could take a whole day to figure that out.

The team leader flipped through the screen again.

"So, for this project, we'd like to actively use AI. Nothing is decided yet, though. Let's try a few things and figure out the direction."

Nothing is decided yet.

Try a few things and figure out the direction.

I looked at the screen and laughed a little.

Those words weren't unfamiliar.

The youngest developer in the meeting room asked.

"So, how far will we use AI for this project?"

The team leader paused for a moment.

"Well……"

He didn't say anything for a few seconds.

Then, he laughed and said.

"I don't know exactly yet."

Laughter filled the meeting room.

I laughed too.

At that moment, a very old voice came to mind.

Someone putting a thick book on my desk.

Thud.

"Have you tried this?"

"No."

"Me neither."

And then the next words.

"We have to make this for the project."

I looked up.

The monitor still displayed a list of new technology names.

It was the same when I was in my twenties.

People always laid out unfamiliar words, claiming they would change the world.

Companies that didn't exist yesterday appeared, and a few months later, they disappeared.

No one knew for sure, but everyone acted like they did.

And in the midst of it all, we built things.

I leaned back in my chair.

Turning fifty soon,
strangely, it felt like that time again.

Except for one thing.

Back then, I was okay not knowing anything.

Now, before saying I don't know, I think twice.

As people closed their laptops one by one at the end of the meeting.

I was the last to stand up.

Another message from the operations team had arrived.

Can you confirm?

I replied.

Yes. I'll check it now.