Indeed, I keep seeing comments stating that LLMs have completely changed their way of programming or even changed their lives. All I can think is, they must have been pretty bad at programming for the impact to be that dramatic.

I keep seeing people making this point as well. But like... yeah? Isn't that the whole idea, that it lets you write programs even if you're not very good at it? I'm a mediocre programmer and LLMs have certainly been useful for me. Not sure what future I or others in my boat have in the job market a few years down the road, though.

And never back it up with hard data on productivity and defect rate before and after.

Well, studies keep showing that using LLMs like that switches your brain off in an alarmingly short amount of time, possibly permanently, turning you into a mindless automaton intermediating between other people and your computer, and also makes you take longer to do things while thinking you're taking less time.

LLMs completely change the way people do things, in the same way that methamphetamine addictions completely change the way people do things.