Amazon Coders Say AI Is Killing Creativity and Doubling the Pressure

Pivot 5
May 26, 2025

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Amazon Coders Say AI Is Turning Software Development Into a High-Speed Assembly Line

Amazon is accelerating software development by pressuring engineers to use generative AI tools and meet tougher deadlines. One engineer said his team is now half its former size yet must deliver the same amount of code by relying on AI.
Chief Executive Andy Jassy told shareholders that generative AI boosts productivity and cost avoidance, and Amazon’s upcoming hackathon will reward employees who build new AI efficiency tools. Engineers say managers are less forgiving about deadlines and treat AI usage as mandatory, mirroring similar mandates at Shopify and Google.
Researchers liken the change to historic factory speed-ups, noting that coding is becoming more repetitive and closely monitored. Amazon engineers warn that the shift from writing to reviewing code limits creative thinking and could stall junior developers’ advancement.

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Shopify unveils an AI-powered store builder and expanded Sidekick capabilities during its Edition launch day. The new tool lets merchants generate a ready-to-launch storefront from a single text prompt, while Sidekick gains voice chat and screen sharing.
The update adds the Horizon theme with built-in AI and modular Theme Blocks so merchants can redesign site elements without coding. Sidekick also arrives in the Shopify mobile app, giving on-the-go access to the assistant.
Shopify states Sidekick monthly users have more than doubled since early 2025, underscoring merchant demand for embedded AI. CEO Tobi Lütke’s memo positions these tools as a way to keep the company effective.

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Google has embedded its Gemini assistant directly into Chrome, letting users question or summarize whatever is on the active tab. The feature is available only in early-access builds and appears as a button in the browser’s toolbar.
Access is limited to AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers using the Beta, Dev, or Canary versions of Chrome. Gemini can read visible page elements, follow tab switches, answer by voice, and pull details from videos, but its replies are often wordy, occasionally inaccurate, and lack real-time data.
Placing Gemini in the browser shows Google’s push toward agentic AI while revealing the tool’s current constraints. The article cites Project Mariner’s forthcoming Agent Mode—designed to juggle up to ten tasks and search the web—as the next stage beyond today’s read-only integration.

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New Optus chief executive Stephen Rue says artificial intelligence will become integral to the telecom’s customer service, fault identification and offer personalisation.
He stresses that humans will still take the final decisions and remain vital in field, creative and call-centre roles. Rue ties future cost management to AI-driven efficiencies.
Rue explicitly states that technicians, call-centre staff and creative teams will remain essential even as AI accelerates data analysis. He links this stance to his wider effort to simplify the organisation.

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Harvard Business Review argues that generative AI is ripping up traditional SaaS playbooks, replacing rigid workflow software with dynamic, goal-oriented “systems of work.” The authors say the shift redefines how tasks are designed and executed across the enterprise.
Examples include Klarna phasing out Salesforce and Workday, Siemens engineers using conversational bots instead of ERP, and Hitachi’s HR unit cutting shared-services effort by 70% with an agentic platform. The piece notes global enterprise software spend hit $913 billion in 2023, yet early AI adopters are already reporting 20–30% efficiency gains.
The authors warn that thousands of IT and administrative roles tied to maintaining SaaS workflows stand to be reshaped or eliminated as AI takes over routine processes. They also state that both legacy and insurgent SaaS vendors face existential risk if they fail to pivot toward AI-native architectures.

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