Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the creation of text, images, videos, and music. However, the impact on programming has been less significant. Despite some experts speculating about the end of programming, it is unlikely to happen anytime soon. AI is more of an assistant or helper to programmers, improving their efficiency rather than replacing them entirely.
Researchers from DeepMind (Google) recently published a paper explaining how AI can improve the efficiency of existing algorithms. The AI, called AlphaDev, learned to write instructions seamlessly without human intervention, proving that AI can overcome complex challenges.
However, few people see AI as a replacement for programmers. According to Brigitte Pientka, a professor at McGill University, ChatGPT is still unreliable, and programmers will continue to be necessary. In the future, they may have a different role, such as evaluating and validating automatically generated programs to ensure reliability and security.
Although AI can reduce programming time, it is still a small fraction of programming that includes design, testing, benchmarking, discussions, and specifications. Developer forums, such as Hacker News, have many open discussions about the usefulness of ChatGPT and other AI applications.
Despite AI’s efficiency, programmer employment is on the rise, and the future looks bright for the software industry. As Stephen Piccolo, a professor at Brigham Young University, said, technology will make programmers more efficient instead of replacing them.
In conclusion, AI is more of an assistant or helper to programmers, improving their efficiency rather than replacing them. Jobs in programming are still a reasonable bet for the future, albeit with different roles. AI is revolutionizing the software industry, making it possible to automate tasks and improve efficiency. However, we still need human programmers to ensure reliability, security, and creativity.
