from Hacker News

Ask HN: Got asked to build AI agent that replaces humans. Would you do it?

by notRobot on 2/21/25, 10:25 AM with 9 comments

The company that develops the software will get paid $50 per asset that it generates. Currently they pay designers $100 per asset.

  • by unraveller on 2/21/25, 11:45 AM

    Every row in a spreadsheet used to be a floor in a building full of human computers and typists. Every copy and paste you do into excel is killing hundreds of jobs.

  • by fuzzfactor on 2/21/25, 12:28 PM

    I like the idea of focusing on areas where humans have already been replaced by fairly stupid systems, and migrating to smarter systems.

    Whether of not that requires more software, hardware, or even more automation at all.

    I also basically want the same money they are putting out for the dumb system, they're getting an outstanding deal because it's a smarter result at the same cost.

  • by sksrbWgbfK on 2/21/25, 10:31 AM

    Once they have the software, they'll replace the developer who wrote it (i.e. you). Maybe ask for a real amount of money upfront instead of getting money until they find out how to stop giving money (like "we don't need you anymore" or "we don't use it").

  • by panny on 2/21/25, 10:30 AM

    If you're delivering the same results in seconds, it should be worth twice the price, not half.

  • by epirogov on 2/22/25, 6:49 PM

    Inspired by the Encodya game, I think it's good for living humans to extend their ideas with robotic minds to protect the next generation.

  • by JohnFen on 2/21/25, 3:12 PM

    I wouldn't. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did. There are plenty of devs with different ethics, they can do it instead.

  • by agent000 on 2/21/25, 3:40 PM

    You realize that a human is an agent right?

    Everybody's optimizing for profit.

    What do you expect to happen?

    THIS IS EXACTLY THE USE CASE FOR AI AGENTS.

    Nobody wants to discuss this situation.

    They do not realize what they are getting themselves into.

    >Everybody's optimizing for profit<

    One startup is working on replacing designers. Turns out another startup is working on replacing software engineers. So it goes.

    maybe not generative ai atleast not currently.