The ladder is missing rungs – Engineering Progression When AI Ate the Middle
Summary
The ladder is missing rungs argues that AI is transforming but not fully substituting mid-level engineering work, eroding the traditional path for developing judgment and system-level understanding. Through data from METR and Anthropic, the piece shows mixed productivity gains and a decline in deeper skills, highlighting a 'supervision paradox' where AI requires supervision that itself relies on expertise being deprioritized. The author calls for structural remedies—context as infrastructure, deliberate learning paths, and honest expectations—to ensure engineers can supervise AI effectively as the ladder is rebuilt.