The Pincer after the North American Programmer’s Job
Are AI and outsourcing coming for us all? “All predictions are wrong, especially about the future” - Yogi Berra “History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.” - Mark Twain A pincer movement is a military tactic where two or more forces converge on an enemy target from different directions in a manner that resembles a pincer or a pair of pliers. This tactic aims to trap the enemy between the converging forces and to reduce their ability to retreat or maneuver. I will analyze the pincer movement of outsourcing and AI going after North American software developers' jobs and their high salaries. The terms developer, engineer, and programmer are used interchangeably, as I am talking about anyone who writes code in this article. Also, being a Canadian, I will use the term “North America” to lump us with the United States. Note that while I present some economic analysis, it is not a rigorous one to keep the material manageable and the content simple. A full analysis would cons