ChatGPT for programmers. A better hammer? Or a steam drill?
ChatGPT is a game changer for software development. The barrier between idea and working application has never been narrower. Like any good productivity tool, it automates things that used to be manual, and accelerates development. It allows programmers to work at a higher level, spend less time on tedious and repetitive code, and focus on delivering value.
So, it's a better IDE?
I'm not sure that's necessarily the right analogy. IDE's (Integrated Development Environments) have been adding capabilities for decades, from Emacs macros to Eclipse's automated generation of godawful Java RMI stub code to the mind-blowingly cool Copilot, which for the first time makes an IDE feel a bit like pairing with another real programmer. Some people found those new tools useful, and some, like a few vim ninjas I know, did not.?
Unlike those tools, I don't think ChatGPT is optional technology for programmers going forward. We are not looking at an incremental step up from autocomplete. This technology has reset the expectations of productivity and quality, much like the steam drill in the American folk story of John Henry. Software engineers will need to look for ways to add value beyond this new baseline.
Put another way, it's simply not a viable strategy for programmers to ignore this technology. The goalposts just moved so far down the field that we probably can't even see them in the distance.?If you're a coder, expectations of how much you can produce, at what scale, and level of quality just changed dramatically, and if you haven't gotten the memo yet, it's on its way.
We may even be close to the point that training in coding itself will no longer be necessary. Writing code seems archaic in a world where a business user can describe a problem in plain English with a proposed user experience and have working software created within moments. The very notion of creating software has suddenly changed, and "coding" is barely in the picture any more.
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That's some IDE.
A colleague who leads an engineering team several hundred strong described to me the range of reactions he was seeing to ChatGPT. Many devs are embracing it to extend their capabilities and enhance their productivity - discovering new ways to work. Most are still trying to figure it all out. And some have told him they intend to keep working as they have, using tools and methodologies developed over long successful careers.
"I'll die with a hammer in my hand."?
If you're a coder or engineering leader, how are you using ChatGPT? Is this a better IDE? Or something else entirely?
UX, Product Design, & Brand Consultant, Team Builder, Design System Aficionado
1 年I had a friend/client liken it to a junior developer who is pretty sharp always ready to pair. They crank out code and there are some problems, but it allows for a new level of lift. Outside of programming, once Apple gets their AI game sorted they may actually be able to ship Knowedge Navigator (1987 concept video)