HackerNoon Technology Polls
HackerNoon readers are younger, wealthier and more educated than the internet's average.
These polls represent where forward thinking technologists see the industry headed.
Do you think 'software engineer' will still be a common job title in 10 years?
AI coding agents are writing production code. Junior roles are quietly disappearing from hiring pipelines. Despite all that, complex systems still break in ways only experienced engineers can diagnose, and someone still has to define what gets built and why. So where does that leave "software engineer" by 2036? Cast your vote.
Poll Results
Yes, fundamentals always matter
31%
It'll exist but look completely unrecognizable
25%
No, the role will be fully abstracted away
17%
Only in regulated industries (finance, defense, health)
14%
Other (tell us in the comment below)
14%
Which tech sin is most unforgivable in 2026?
Poll Results
Subscription creep (everything is a monthly bill)
38%
Forced accounts (toasters requiring logins)
24%
‘AI’ features that are just worse autocomplete
20%
Hardware that’s impossible to repair
17%
Would you pay $20–$30/month to use ChatGPT’s most advanced model without ads?
ChatGPT has traditionally offered free and low-cost access to its models, with expanded usage available through affordable options like ChatGPT Go and broader access to GPT-5.2. With OpenAI now planning to introduce ads on free and entry-level tiers—while keeping higher-priced plans ad-free—users are being nudged toward subscriptions in the $20–$30/month range.
Poll Results
No — that price isn’t worth it for my usage
23%
No — ads are fine if core features remain accessible
22%
Yes — I’d rather pay $20–$30/month than see ads
20%
Maybe — it depends on how frequent or intrusive the ads are
19%
I already pay for an ad-free plan
16%
Big Tech is cutting staff to fund $100B in AI. Your take?
Amazon, Intel, and Microsoft are cutting thousands of roles to fund $100B+ in AI infrastructure. This trend represents a move from headcount-led growth to compute-led growth. Companies are flattening organizational structures to free up the massive capital required to build data centers, purchase custom silicon, and secure energy for AI models. What’s your take on this "Big Tech Pivot"?
Poll Results
The bubble is about to burst (Over-investment)
40%
Short-sighted cost cutting (Losing talent)
23%
A necessary evolution (Innovate or die)
21%
Time to pivot my own skills (Bracing for impact)
17%
What's the Biggest Risk to the Open Internet?
It feels as if the internet is in a rocky state, and it can tumble at any moment. In your opinion, what's the biggest risk to the open internet?
Poll Results
Declining content quality
28%
Overreliance on algorithms
21%
Overregulation and moderation
20%
Other (Let us know in the comments!)
15%
Which humanoid robot from CES 2026 is the most promising?
CES never disappoints when it comes to robots. This year’s show was packed with humanoids that danced, boxed, played ping-pong, folded laundry, ran convenience stores, and even debuted in production-ready form.
Poll Results
Atlas (Boston Dynamics) — The “this one might actually work” humanoid
39%
The Laundry Assistant (Dyna Robotics) — Boring, practical, and already deployed.
16%
The Convenience Store Assistant (Galbot) — A clear example of service robots in real settings
11%
Other (please share in the comments)
11%
The Boxer (EngineAI) — Unpolished, but a glimpse at expressive humanoid movement
10%
Dancing Humanoid (Unitree) — More capable than it looks, even if mostly for show
7%
The Home Butler (LG’s CLOiD) — Early, slow, but clearly aimed at everyday domestic use
7%
Do you use antivirus software on your PC?
Poll Results
Kinda - I use my computer's default antivirus software but don't necessarily seek any third party software
41%
Yes - I go out of my way to have a third-party antivirus software installed on my PC
32%
No - I disable antivirus software the first chance I get
27%
Was 2025 the “Death of the Generalist AI”?
The "Death of Generalist AI" refers to the end of the one-size-fits-all era. In its place, Small Language Models (SLMs) and Domain-Specific AI have emerged as the industry's workhorses. These models are trained on curated, high-fidelity data for specific sectors like law, healthcare, and finance, allowing them to outperform general models in accuracy and reliability within those niches. By running locally on hardware or on-premise servers, they prioritize privacy (data remains on-device), speed (zero cloud latency), and cost-efficiency.
Poll Results
No. Generalist models like ChatGPT and Gemini still dominate.
31%
Not really. Generalist and specialized AI now exist as a hybrid.
29%
Yes. Highly specialized models now dominate.
27%
Doesn’t matter. Generalist AI is just rebranding.
14%