We coined a new term on the Oxide and Friends podcast last month (primary credit to Adam Leventhal) covering the sense of psychological ennui leading into existential dread that many software developers are feeling thanks to the encroachment of generative AI into their field of work.

We’re calling it Deep Blue.

https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/15/deep-blue/

I’ve been thinking about the “Deep Blue” from various perspectives lately.

• Will I remain relevant as a software engineer?
• Will my teenage son, aspiring to be a software engineer, face easier or more challenging job prospects compared to my own experience?
• Does pursuing a college degree in software engineering still make sense for him (or anyone else aspiring to enter the field)?
• Will I be able to secure employment in a software-related role for the next 10-20 years?

Those are just a few off the top of the dome.