The Rise of the Machines🤖. The Future of the Secret Developer Post 2023
I’ve been thinking today about the future.
I don’t mean which ramen I’m going to eat next.
That’s decided.
I’m speculating on the future of The Secret Developer in this new scary world of AI. We are going to go through the present, near future, and future.
Spoiler:
We are all dead in the end.
The present. AI and incompetence
I’m sure you’re working in a job where there have been discussions about AI.
Discussion points might be:
How are you integrating it into your workflows?
How can we update our interview process?
Do we pay for AI tools?
Guess which of the above have been considered at my company?
That’s right. It’s about avoiding paying money.
The CIO got asked a question at our monthly all-hands meeting this month. Do we have an AI policy? The answer:
We don’t have any money for tools.
We are a serious company. The idea that we don’t have a policy and our IP is leaking frankly worries me. The idea that we have a CIO without the brains to give us direction (even if that were to be DO NOT USE AI) means I need to get my resume in order quickly.
It’s like I can feel other developers have running shoes and are zooming by me. My company says shoes are expensive.
This isn’t just one thing. I mean my laptop will have a longer life than me in the company, but there again I cost much more to the organization.
Or cost centre as they call me.
The near-future. AI prompt writer
I’ve had some pity comments on other articles that I’m junior because I’ve used AI.
Yeah right.
It is true that I’m frequently half-asleep at work and don’t focus as I’m writing blog posts at the same time as meetings. Do you know what fills in the gaps?
ChatGPT
Bard
GitHub Copilot
Frankly, they help NOW if you don’t pay attention and your ACs are so badly written they don’t make sense. Pretty soon their use will be mandatory. For those who do pay attention in their jobs.
I fully expect any company I move to (please be soon) to mandate that we DO use AI. It will be expected since the pace of work will demand it, and rightfully so.
The future
It is the old race against the earth becoming a burning coffin for us all, war, and the AI apocalypse.
I’m going to say it will be none of those. Still, in 20 years the job will effectively be gone and at best we will be an expert in a dying field.
No-code has threatened us all for a long time, but due to the fact, it’s rubbish (Saleforce I’m looking at you) we hardcore coders have been safe. AI is going to make those block-dragging abominations worthwhile for businesses and your BA will be able to produce great code.
So, we are going to starve.
Effectively we are all going to be Fortran programmers. But without the advantage of some Fortran programmers being required in a certain niche.
Is it too late to retrain as a spot welder?
Did we mention the robots are coming?
Conclusion
Death, pain, and misery.
This article is only so depressing as The Secret Developer is on vacation.
True story.