AI and future of Software Development
Let’s start with this fascinating video from the GPT-4 demo earlier this week:
What you are watching is AI converting a hand-drawn sketch into a working website ??
If you have not been living under a rock, you already know that AI is writing code. With recent developments like GitHub Copilot, Replit, and ChatGPT itself, the world of software programming is changing rapidly.
As a software developer and entrepreneur running a software consulting company, I've been pondering how AI will impact tech jobs. How do we navigate these evolving situations, prepare ourselves for the coming avalanche, and determine the future value add of software providers?
The Dual Purpose of Software Developers
Today, software developers serve a dual purpose:
a) Brainstorm, ideate, and figure out solutions to problems
b) Convert these solutions into a working product (programming)
The second part is getting automated at an unprecedented scale. For one of my latest projects, I had ChatGPT describe the exact steps, along with the codebase, libraries to install, and errors to watch out for (this warrants another blog post). Something that would have taken a week to complete, I was able to accomplish it in a day.
The overall impact is not just for software developers or software providers, but also for SaaS companies. As creating software gets faster and cheaper, there will be fewer reasons to keep paying hefty monthly subscriptions.
In this blog post, I will share my perspective on this changing landscape, the near-term impacts due to these advances in AI, and the long-term implications for software developers. We will begin with the evolution of programming languages and where we are now.
AI is the True No-Code Tool
The march towards no-code has been a long journey since the 1960s when the first micro-computers emerged. Every single programming language and framework has aimed to open up programming to a larger audience.
Veterans in this industry have seen this trend over several decades. Every new language attempted to abstract away the complexities of its predecessors. For example:
But with AI, two things are different:
Speed: The speed at which this transition to no-code is happening is mind-blowing. GPT-3 allowed you to create snippets of code for small, well-defined problems. GPT-4 lets you build entire websites from a drawing. What about GPT-5?
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Interface: The most interesting part is the nature of interaction. Today, even the best no-code tools require a bit of creativity and skill to use a graphical interface. But with AI, you simply describe your problem or upload a picture.
AI is here to stay and will soon become ubiquitous, like smartphones. Whatever your convictions are around AI not threatening your job, it could still catch you off guard. The only path forward is to embrace it.
Navigating the Short Term
The good news is that AI, in its current state, cannot replace you. YET ??
Although this might change quickly, you still have some breathing room to learn and adjust. The best thing you can do is to befriend AI and lean into it completely. You are dealing with a system that has digested all programming language documentation and trained on millions of lines of code (thanks GitHub).
For now, use AI to accelerate your work pace and reduce development time. Utilize AI for documentation help, generating source code snippets instead of looking up on Stack Overflow, and for debugging. Copy and paste bugs into ChatGPT and let it suggest solutions. It does a pretty decent job. Your expertise will still be required. The current state of AI is “not there yet” to handle everything on its own. You will still have to step in and tie the loose ends, figure out the problems, and explain them to ChatGPT.
While doing this, use this opportunity to impress your clients or employers (assuming they have allowed the usage of AI tools), helping them save significant time and solidifying your position as an expert in the field. AI tools will always need an operator, someone to ask the question or explain the problem better. (Never bet against human creativity and human laziness ??)
Furthermore, the more you engage with AI, the better you'll become at pushing its boundaries and maximizing its potential. You'll gain a deeper understanding of its capabilities and limitations. This expertise will set you apart from others, leading to enhanced ideas or innovative solutions that can be developed. The essence of ideas and creativity is their ability to continually expand and adapt to fill any void.
Preparing for the Long Term
AI is a true world-flattening event. Skill and knowledge are no longer the entry barriers. Anyone who can ask better questions, understand the responses, and interact effectively could become a “Software Programmer.” This means that many software products could be built in a short span of time. So, what does this mean for “Software Developers” in its current form?
Definitely not all doom and gloom. Software and technology have been in the process of being automated over the last two decades. But, even when building software is much easier today than it was a decade ago, companies still struggle to find enough engineers, and salaries continue to skyrocket. Why? Because, unlike the physical world, creativity and expression in the virtual world have no bounds. When there are no barriers, every idea will rush to find an expression. Software will start popping up like TikTok videos. There will always be demand!
Also, consider this: with AI in its final form, anyone could build a better product than yours by simply adding "Better" in front of the prompt. Can't wait to try "Build me a BETTER LinkedIn ??."
Indirectly, this would lead to increased pressure to differentiate your product's value-add. And this will be your chance to stand out with your creativity and judgement.
Taking a guess, you may need to improve your skills in understanding and explaining the problem, optimizing, and recognizing the value-add. You will also have to think of moats or key differentiators to protect your products. Mix this with your creativity and judgement. This will definitely be a new era!
That being said, attempting to predict the future is a fool's errand. The best approach is to stay informed about emerging technologies and continually adapt to the changes.
Conclusion
In the fast-paced world of software development, having a strong foundation and adapting to the latest trends is crucial. As AI continues to advance, embracing its potential will be key to staying ahead of the curve.
Incorporating AI into your daily work can improve efficiency, reduce development time, and provide valuable insights. Continuously learning about AI advancements will help you stay competitive and contribute meaningfully to the industry.
In conclusion, proactively embracing AI and adapting to its advancements is essential for thriving in the software development landscape. By staying informed and leveraging AI's capabilities, you can secure your position as an expert and grow alongside the industry.
Jitin Pillai Awesome! Thanks for Sharing! ??