The solution might be cancelling my AI subscription
TL;DR · AI Summary
While AI tools can rapidly generate seemingly complete projects—including tests and documentation—in under an hour, they often lead to fragmented attention and abandoned efforts; for ADHD users, however, AI may serve as a focus aid rather than a distraction, making project completion possible for the first time—highlighting that limiting usage, not optimizing tools, is currently the most viable strategy to restore discipline.
Key Takeaways
- AI agents can turn vague ideas into production-ready code with tests/docs in <1
- ADHD users report AI helps sustain focus and enables project completion for the
- The only realistic current approach is active AI limitation—not technical fixes—
Outline
Jump quickly between sections.
David Wilson shares 16+ AI-built projects, noting how sessions starting with 'write a quick script' often end in untargeted, unmaintained outputs, exposing attention fragmentation.
Author confirms AI coding agents can produce polished, test-covered projects in <1 hour—but without follow-up, their value evaporates.
Hacker News comments reveal many ADHD users find AI enables sustained focus, allowing them to finally finish side projects and feel supported.
Author concludes the only practical path forward is intentional AI restriction, since frictionless reward loops inherently undermine long-term commitment.
Mindmap
See how the topics connect at a glance.
查看大纲文本（无障碍 / 无 JS 友好）
- AI工具的注意力悖论
- 负面效应
- 注意力碎片化
- 输出失焦
- 正面效应
- ADHD用户适配
- 认知负荷降低
- 应对策略
- 主动限用
Highlights
Key sentences worth saving and sharing.
'I didn't mean to build most of these things… one hour later the result is not a quick script for X, nor in the usual case is my problem solved' — AI's output often diverges from intent and fails to r
'AI is a thermonuclear ADHD amplifier… folk running 3 screens simultaneously working on totally unrelated projects they have little hope of maintaining' — AI exacerbates attention fragmentation across
'For those of us prone to hyperfocus, working with AI can provide the kinds of stimulation we crave… I literally feel like I have a support team for the first time' — AI enables sustained engagement f
31st May 2026 - Link Blog
[The solution might be cancelling my AI subscription](https://thoughts.hmmz.org/2026-05-31.html) ([via](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48345896 "Hacker News")) I find this post by David Wilson very relatable. David lists 16+ projects he's spun up with AI tooling, and concludes:
I didn't mean to build most of these things. Usually the Claude session started with something like "_write a quick script for X_", and one hour later the result is not a _quick script for X_, nor in the usual case is my problem solved, whatever the original itch happened to be.
On that last point, this technology is horrific for attention. It's a thermonuclear ADHD amplifier and I have seen the same effect in every single one of my adult friends. Folk running 3 screens simultaneously working on totally unrelated "projects" they have little hope of maintaining, and such little commitment to the outcome that the time is obviously wasted.
This is a _very_ real problem. I'm finding that coding agents can take me from a vague idea to a working solution, one with tests and documentation and that _looks_ like a carefully considered project evolved over the course of many weeks... in less than an hour.
Even if the code is rock solid, there's a limit to how many projects like that I can sensibly care for - and if they're instantly abandoned, what value was there from creating them in the first place?
David doesn't think this is sustainable at all:
I have no idea how to manage AI at present except by curtailing use, because a tool producing a cheap reward with minimal input and no friction can only be a liability, and achieving that realisation is probably the only real contribution of AI to date.
I'm hopeful that the critical skill to develop here is _discipline_. That’s not great news for me: I’ve been trying to figure that one out for decades!
Interestingly, the Hacker News thread has gathered a number of comments from people with ADHD who are finding agents help them achieve the focus they've been missing:
- "... for me (also ADHD) it's kind of the opposite. I'm finishing side projects for the first time ever because I can actually get them working before I get bored of them"
- "As someone with ADHD I feel like AI is a salve for my mind. I used to listen to intense EDM while working. Now I sit in silence and talk to my agents. I maintain inbox zero. I absorb and comment across all relevant projects, even outside my team. I literally feel like I have a support team for the first time."
- "For those of us prone to hyperfocus, working with AI can provide the kinds of stimulation we crave. I can hardly remember a time when I've felt more engaged with my work, more productive, and more badass."