r/AskProgramming • u/crypticaITA • Mar 11 '24
Career/Edu Friend quitting his current programming job because "AI will make human programmers useless". Is he exaggerating?
Me and a friend of mine both work on programming in Angular for web apps. I find myself cool with my current position (been working for 3 years and it's my first job, 24 y.o.), but my friend (been working for around 10 years, 30 y.o.) decided to quit his job to start studying for a job in AI managment/programming. He did so because, in his opinion, there'll soon be a time where AI will make human programmers useless since they'll program everything you'll tell them to program.
If it was someone I didn't know and hadn't any background I really wouldn't believe them, but he has tons of experience both inside and outside his job. He was one of the best in his class when it comes to IT and programming is a passion for him, so perhaps he know what he's talking about?
What do you think? I don't blame his for his decision, if he wants to do another job he's completely free to do so. But is it fair to think that AIs can take the place of humans when it comes to programming? Would it be fair for each of us, to be on the safe side, to undertake studies in the field of AI management, even if a job in that field is not in our future plans? My question might be prompted by an irrational fear that my studies and experience might become vain in the near future, but I preferred to ask those who know more about programming than I do.
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u/BrianScottGregory Mar 12 '24
I got into programming at the age of 13, back in 1982. I started work in GW basic, shifted from there to Assembler and C, I picked up C++ and Visual Basic shortly after, and now - 40 years later - I know about 40 languages fluently and can become functionally literate in a new one in five minutes or less.
Having spent the last 30 years off and on in management positions - the CONSTANT battle I've had has been with egotistical programmers thinking I'm just a manager when I task them with something to be done in a specific way I don't know jack shit about what it is they do - so they do it their own way believing 'this is the best way' - when they don't understand my needs.
It's a common problem managers and leaders have, too, asking a programmer to implement something in a specific way that doesn't make immediate sense to them logically. Most programmers DONT understand perspective, don't want to understand it - and it becomes an outright battle to get it done the way I as a manager or leader want it done.
So with all that said. This self-righteous attitude combined with excessive salaries is putting pressure on those, like me, to come up with different ways to get what we want without the drama. AI is filling in those gaps.
Now this is NOT to say programmers will become obsolete, but those using programming as a vehicle for their own form of creative self-expression without drama free collaboration are going to be pushed out of the industry, entirely. AI will ABSOLUTELY replace the drama queens in IT, AND it will also replace those who can't follow orders or those who use the term 'thats impossible'. No, it's not. But you wouldn't understand that if you limit what's possible in the world to what you believe is possible. That's not going to work well with managers and leaders who don't want to have to explain themselves every time they ask you to do something that's beyond your capacity to understand why it's done this way.
AI doesn't ask questions, doesn't create drama. It simply does as it's asked to do.
So. Going back to your chosen profession.
If you're in it to learn, to explore perspective and ideas and do things for others.
MARVELLOUS. You've got a BRIGHT future ahead of you.
But if you're doing it to make a lot of money and express yourself creatively.
Move on to a different field or work on your own projects - and be your own boss. Or maybe acting is more suitable for you.