Unverified50% confidenceOpinionExact time
Professor Hilton draws an analogy between software engineering and civil engineering, pointing out that as the cost of writing code approaches zero, the engineering cost of ensuring the problem is solved correctly has not decreased.
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10/15/2026
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Related Claims
UnverifiedThe developer proposed that the future cost of software will approach zero, and if a company's moat is merely lines of code, that would be very dangerous.60% similarUnverifiedWriting code accounts for only a small portion of the cost over a software's lifecycle; what is truly expensive is maintenance, debugging, and comprehension.60% similarUnverifiedA large portion of the real cost of software development does not occur during coding, but rather in meetings, waiting for code reviews, requirements rework, and approval processes.58% similarUnverifiedThe marginal cost of traditional software subscriptions is nearly zero, but every inference by a large language model consumes real GPU compute, and operating costs are directly tied to user usage volume.55% similarUnverifiedA lower unit price does not necessarily mean lower per-task cost; for high-output tasks such as long-form creative writing, the actual cost may not be economical due to increased output Tokens.55% similar
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