Asger Risom
Amazon and Google veteran Steve Yegge says AI-assisted “vibe coding” creates a “vampiric effect” and warns companies they may get only three productive hours a day from engineers before burnout sets in.
A veteran of Amazon and Google has warned that the rise of AI-powered coding tools could leave engineers drained within hours.
He argues that both workers and managers must reset expectations before burnout spreads across the industry.
Steve Yegge, who worked with Jeff Bezos during Amazon’s early years before a 12-year stint at Google, said artificial intelligence can create an intense cycle of productivity followed by exhaustion.
Speaking on “The Pragmatic Engineer” newsletter and podcast, Yegge described what he called a “vampiric effect” tied to AI-assisted development.
“There’s a vampiric effect with AI, where it gets you excited, and you work really hard, and you’re capturing a ton of value,” he said.
Productivity ceiling
Yegge said companies should recognise that even if AI tools increase output, there is a limit to how long engineers can sustain that pace.
“I seriously think founders and company leaders and engineering leaders at all levels, all the way down to line managers, have to be aware of this and realize that you might only get three productive hours out of a person who’s vibe coding at max speed,” he said. “So, do you let them work for three hours a day? The answer is yes, or your company’s going to break.”
He added that engineers must also set clearer boundaries. “People have to learn the art of pushing back,” he said.
Rising AI fatigue
Concerns about so-called “AI fatigue” are beginning to surface more widely. Business Insider recently reported on Siddhant Khare, who builds AI tools and said the accelerated pace of AI-driven work left him feeling burned out.
Yegge said he has seen similar patterns among startup engineers.
“I find myself napping during the day, and I’m talking to friends at startups, and they’re finding themselves napping during the day,” he said. “We’re starting to get tired and cranky.”
As companies lean further into agentic AI systems, Yegge suggested that leaders who fail to adjust workloads risk exhausting the engineers powering the technology.
Sources: “The Pragmatic Engineer” newsletter/podcast; Business Insider
