I don't see it as a çatastropic regression. We're already seeing instances of software gatekeepers like the Apple Appstore requiring users to upload bitcode that can be specialized to different processors. This is strictly better for consumers because they get more efficient software. Developers don't have to do much work; they just need to pick a compiler that supports the bitcode output. Hopefully, we'll settle on a bitcode format that works across multiple clouds and storefronts. LLVM bitcode or WASM are the best candidates right now. The clouds/storefronts can perform additional optimizations (perhaps even run a superoptimizer per hardware SKU), and additional privacy/security checks.
With Moore's Law ending, these are the tricks we need to get up to to improve user experience, reduce power draw, and make hardware go further.
With Moore's Law ending, these are the tricks we need to get up to to improve user experience, reduce power draw, and make hardware go further.