I agree, from a totally different angle. Let's take something I know better as an example: Structural engineering. Structural engineering should be a "solved problem". It seems, ostensibly, relatively simple compared to a more open ended activity like "programming".(For "technical reasons", it ends up being more similar than you might think.) Still, you are ultimately dealing with the same materials, the same physics, and very similar configurations.
And yet, despite the fact that we have programs to help calculate all the things, test code-required load-combinations, even run simulations and size individual components... it turns out that, it doesn't actually save that much work, and you still need an engineer to do most of it. And not just because of regulatory requirements. It's just, that's not the hard part. The hard part is assembling the components and specifications, specifying the correct loads based on location-specific circumstances, coming up with coherent and sensible design ideas, chasing down every possible creative nook and cranny of code to make something that was originally a mistake actually work, and know when the model is just wrong for some reason and the computer isn't simulating load paths accurately.
Specifying the inputs and interpreting results is still about as much work as it was before you started with all the fancy tools. Those tools still have advantages mind you, and they do make one slightly more efficient. Substantially so in some cases, but most of the time it still comes out as a slight assist rather than a major automation.
As a former structural engineer, I completely agree with this sentiment. For every engineering project I was involved in, the automated components were at most 2 to 5% of the rest of the work.
And yet, despite the fact that we have programs to help calculate all the things, test code-required load-combinations, even run simulations and size individual components... it turns out that, it doesn't actually save that much work, and you still need an engineer to do most of it. And not just because of regulatory requirements. It's just, that's not the hard part. The hard part is assembling the components and specifications, specifying the correct loads based on location-specific circumstances, coming up with coherent and sensible design ideas, chasing down every possible creative nook and cranny of code to make something that was originally a mistake actually work, and know when the model is just wrong for some reason and the computer isn't simulating load paths accurately.
Specifying the inputs and interpreting results is still about as much work as it was before you started with all the fancy tools. Those tools still have advantages mind you, and they do make one slightly more efficient. Substantially so in some cases, but most of the time it still comes out as a slight assist rather than a major automation.