The Future of Programming: Will AI Like ChatGPT Replace Programmers?
The disruption that AI-based language models could bring to the job market has IT professionals and futurists contemplating what programming will look like in the near future.
The short answer is “No.”, the slightly longer answer is “Not yet.”
Technology is ever-evolving, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) variants like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s DeepMind are gaining prominence in the job market. They’re powerful, versatile language models with numerous applications, and experts are wondering if AI could impact the future of programming as a profession. In the realm of coding, is AI a friend or foe? Let’s discuss the potential that AI holds and how it might shape the future of programming jobs.
AI-Powered Automation: A Threat or a Boon?
There’s no doubt that AI-based models can significantly improve our productivity and efficiency. However, the fear of AI automating jobs away, including those of programmers, is prevalent. Will AI systems like ChatGPT soon be writing code themselves? Though it’s not unthinkable, we’re not there yet.
As a programmer, I find myself opening the free ChatGPT web app once every few hours to satisfy my curiosity of tasks I’m unfamiliar with that I need to perform in a language I’m not that great at — asking things like “What library do I need to import to make this app dockable for Win11?” or “Identify the 20% most important concepts from ReactJS for me to be able to create 80% of what ReactJS is intended for”. And most of the time it would be able to pin down exactly what I’m looking in minutes, then I’d be off going about my work the usual way, a lot of grinding and looking things up myself so I could make the very specific hundred-thousand lines of code work the way it needs to.
This is, I have to admit, still an issue simply because of GPT4's currently limited token input + output of 8000 tokens. It would simply forget if I input anything beyond the 8000 tokens it’s restricted to.
So, for now, AI and humans will continue to work side-by-side, with machines automating repetitive and mundane tasks while programmers focus on design, architecture, and problem-solving.
The Arrival of “Code-Less” Development
It’s become a buzz word really, just like AI, ML, IoT, and what you will.
Having acknowledged the present constraints of AI language models like ChatGPT, it’s worth emphasizing their transformative potential in the realm of software development. Envision a world of “code-less” programming(businesses certainly have started circling around the idea, in particular in web development), where intricate web applications come to life without the need to pen each distinct line of code. Though none are currently worth mentioning in their capabilities — being their systems are much more complex and restrictive than actually learning HTML, CSS and JavaScript yourself. If it comes to a point where their usability is high enough, this breakthrough will not only empower seasoned programmers but will also open up avenues for individuals without prior coding experience to delve into web, app and software development.
In this futuristic landscape, creative minds from various disciplines will have the opportunity to ideate and conceptualize applications. With powerful AI models like ChatGPT as their ally, turning these ideas into fully functioning software becomes an effortless and seamless process. This unprecedented level of accessibility will likely result in a surge of innovation, as diverse perspectives and competencies come together to create groundbreaking applications.
Collaboration and Co-creation with AI
Instead of AI models replacing programmers, we’ll likely see a future where programmers work in collaboration with AI-based systems. In fact, scratch that! We’re already seeing this happening. We just don’t know how this trend will evolve. These smart language models assist with troubleshooting code, generating boilerplates, or even helping with algorithm optimization. Some of the tools that are starting to include AI as their driving function are code assistants, like GitHub Co-Pilot, and TabNine. Programmers will have more tools in their arsenal, and the fusion of human creativity and AI efficiency will create new and exceptional applications.
Expanding Creative Frontiers
The rise of AI in programming will also change programmers’ roles. Rather than focusing on time-consuming tasks, programmers will direct their efforts toward crafting better user experiences, devising innovative solutions to complex problems, and exploring further creative avenues in tech. AI’s growing presence doesn’t necessarily mean the extinction of programming jobs — it means shifting to higher-value tasks. For instance Unreal Engine, which recently released their version 5.1, is a big proponent of C++ and harnessing the creativity that their human users have to offer. You can see this from both their growth trajectory — automating the menial tasks using their procedural creation of landscape and materials, ultimately still having the creators decide on the details, and if a layman cares enough to peek, their documentation in which the use of C++ and visual scripting are heavily covered:
The Road to Augmented Programming
One thing for certain is that the use of AI in software engineering and development will give birth to “augmented programming,” which combines the best features of traditional coding processes with AI-generated code, in a more mature way.
In this scenario, programmers will work more like directors or architects, overseeing the programming structure, debugging AI-produced code, and making critical decisions that AI models can’t.
It’s clear that AI-based language models like ChatGPT have the potential to reshape the programming landscape. However, it’s essential to remember that even with AI’s powerful capabilities, skillful programmers and their creativity, problem-solving abilities, and critical-thinking are irreplaceable. AI and humans must collaborate and co-create, adapting to the evolving technological landscape.
So What Now?
As AI-powered language models continue to emerge and influence various sectors, the future of programming as a profession (fingers crossed) will evolve rather than fade away.
AI will eliminate monotonous tasks and inefficiencies, driving programmers to focus more on higher-value responsibilities — and in that regard, empowering even non-coders to be creators!
The augmentation of human ingenuity with AI advancements will forge a new era in programming, redefining the job for generations to come. Or at least that would be the ideal.
