Programming in the age of AI
and why it’s more relevant than ever!
by Graham Paasch
"I'm not a programmer."
This phrase is becoming less of a declaration and more of a missed opportunity, especially in today's rapidly evolving technological landscape. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and tools like ChatGPT, some argue that the need for human programmers is diminishing. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, now is arguably the best time in history to learn programming, and here's why.
The First Misconception: AI Replacing Programmers
The idea that AI and advanced tools are making programmers obsolete is a common misconception. While it's true that AI has automated certain aspects of programming, the role of the human programmer is more crucial than ever. The creativity, problem-solving ability, and unique insights that human programmers bring to the table are irreplaceable.
This is part of what is meant by AGI, and why it is considered to not yet have been sparked in a meaningful way. Until it is sparked, and I would argue afterwards as well, humans have an essential role in the programming process. Large international airplanes don't negate the need for large international boats. Smaller intranational airplanes don't negate the need for cars. Even horses still have their place in society, and yes, in daily professional contexts.
In the USA, many local police forces use horses professionally, despite having bugets that could afford just about any advanced technology out there. There will always be a place for humans with high level skills in technology. A large part of those skills will always consist of programming of some kind. These sets of skills will always be near the top of the list. In the end, it's applied mathematics. It's a way of thinking.
The Second Misconception: Something Intrinsicly About me Renders me Incapable of Programming.
What truly sets this era apart for aspiring programmers is the accessibility of learning resources, particularly AI-driven tools. Imagine having a personal tutor available 24/7, ready to answer your questions, guide you through complex problems, and offer tailored advice. This is what AI, like ChatGPT, offers to learners today.
In the past, learning programming could be a daunting task. Hitting a roadblock often meant hours of frustration or waiting for assistance. Now, AI tools can provide instant help, breaking down complex concepts and offering step-by-step guidance. This accessibility dramatically lowers the barriers to learning programming.
Intrinsically, you, are now more valuable to programming than ever before. This is because you can now exist in this space. Who are you really? There does exist real neurological disorders such as dyscalculia, the inability to comprehend numbers. As well as real physical disorders such as ectrodactyly, being born with missing fingers. There is also real deprivation such as poverty and misfortune, existing in places without access to technology. Does any of this apply to you?
I have good news for you! Computers are more accessible than ever in the age of AI. You have a unique perspective to bring to the table. Welcome to the first wave of the AI revolution: personal tutoring. No? None of it applies? Then don't be held back. Don't make up reasons not to succeed when those with greater challenges and every excuse in the world are giving it their best shot against all odds. They need you to succeed so that you can be there for them to collaborate and help them bring their unique perspectives to the table.
Embracing programming in the age of AI means harnessing the best of both worlds: human creativity and AI efficiency. AI can accelerate development processes, debug, and optimize code, but it's the human mind that conceptualizes the vision, the application, and the innovation.
Here's what you bring: Coherence
AI can handle repetitive tasks, analyze data faster, and even suggest optimizations, but it cannot replace the human element of innovation and contextual understanding. It cannot create a coherent representation of an idea anywhere near to the levels a human can, especially in iterations over time.
A great example is writing in image generation. The AI generates symbols similar to the those it saw when it was trained, but in no way expresses real, intentional, and coherent ideas with these symbols. It's just plain not as good for many, many things. This blog post itself is a great example.
Hello! I'm writing. It's me, Graham, the human. Did I use AI? Yes, but then I edited basically everything, because the AI didn't do everything I wanted. Here is the link to the AI conversation I had to help me write this post.
Look at what it generated. Would it have been better to just post that verbatim? ChatGPT itself makes it very clear: "Remember, this is just a starting point." Writing is a uniquely human organic intelligent behavior. Artifical intelligence will always do it artifically.
Conclusion: The Synergy of Human Creativity and AI Efficiency
The rise of AI doesn't spell the end for programmers; instead, it marks a new chapter where learning and practicing programming have become more accessible and efficient than ever. Now is an exciting time to dive into programming, not only because it's a foundational skill for the future but also because the resources at your disposal, like AI tutors, can make the journey more intuitive and fulfilling.
Well said. The above paragraph was verbatim output from ChatGPT. Couldn't have said it better myself. :)
Graham Paasch & ChatGPT 4
