In fact this aspect of "re-inventing and then congratulating oneself for it" has been a factor in software since the dawn of the subject - it is now with AI/ML, becoming far more endemic across a far broader group of people, who ordinarily would not have done software development properly if it weren't for the immense power that comes from glib application of tooling, minus methodology.

I have long observed that tooling+methodology is a very distinct skillset in software developers - those who treat both subjects with appropriate governance, excel - those who ignore one for the other, tend to make a mess of it.

If you don't have the methods, you will re-invent tools to find those methods. If you don't have tools, you will develop methods sufficient to the creation of those tools. Too many times, folks who have no method of finding existing tools, will instead just build a duplicate tool .. which they will use until they learn the tool-discovery method.

I think AI/ML is really turning the tooling+methodology equation into a maelstrom. Apropos proper engineering post-mortem, I would question the impact on AI/ML-derived riches on the drive to turn standard methods into Subscription Services© behind Yet Another Tool™ ..

It used to be partially because building tools is fun. Often more fun than building whatever the company actually needs. But now it’s not that fun.

LLMs need to say stuff like “your company sells sparkling water, you should not build and maintain another in-house product board and CRM”, and then stand their ground.