// HACKER NEWS — CYBERSECURITY
The Vibe Tax
So you have decided to start on that long-awaited, from-scratch todo app. There are millions of such apps but this will be yours. Something tailored for your unique workflow.
Normally you wouldn’t even take up such an endeavour. Any handwritten code takes time. And time is one thing you don’t have. Doesn’t help that you also write code for a living.
But now you are more confident. Thanks to the LLMs you don’t have to hand type any of it. It helps that you are a good software engineer with experience in an adjacent area.
As is your way of developing software, you start with a small spike or, in normie terms, a proof of concept.
You type in instructions meticulously, constraining the agent to your wishes. You always had a way with the agents.
The latest one named Pol would be no different. It has been ranking way up in the benchmarks. They all get better over time, so if anything, this would be easier than a month ago.
You set the agent to crunch the code, go on with your regular work or maybe go to sleep. After all, the agents are quite autonomous these days.
You wake up and, as is the ritual, walk over to your desk to check on Pol. It is always thrilling to check out the first cuts. They are crude, unpolished, error-prone but rewarding. Creating something out of nothing. From a thought to working software. As if magic and witchcraft has finally come true.
The first glance doesn’t show any software yet. Hmm, that cannot be right. Did you run it even? With some self-doubt you switch to Pol’s dinky little terminal.
You stare at it confused. Pre-caffeine brain refusing to comprehend the implications of it. Or maybe not wanting to. You just had your weekly reset yesterday so this has to be a mistake.