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AI as the new electricity
Andrew Ng, co-founder of Google Brain and CEO of Landing AI, compares AI to electricity, which revolutionized industry a century ago, transforming every sector of the economy:
AI is the new electricity. Just as electricity transformed almost everything 100 years ago, today I actually have a hard time thinking of an industry that I don’t think AI will transform in the next several years
Ng predicts that in the coming years, AI will transform almost every industry, including, of course, IT.
Advantage through adaptation to AI
Andrew then points out that the real risk with AI is not that it becomes “too smart,” but that it remains “too limited.”
The biggest risk is not that AI will get too smart, but that AI will remain too stupid
His words mean that instead of fearing AI taking over, we should focus on using its capabilities wisely and effectively.
It is up to us whether AI becomes a supporting tool that unlocks new possibilities or a technology with untapped potential.
AI will relieve programmers of tedious tasks
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, sees AI as a tool that will relieve programmers of the burden of repetitive, time-consuming tasks, giving them more space to implement more creative and strategic projects.
AI tools will help us with the mundane, repetitive aspects of programming, allowing us to focus on higher-level problems
In his vision, artificial intelligence will free up time and resources that programmers can devote to:
- analysis,
- designing innovative solutions,
- solving complex problems.
AI for Everyone – AI Democratization
Demis Hassabis, CEO of DeepMind, emphasizes that artificial intelligence should be accessible to everyone, regardless of experience level.
We need to democratize AI so everyone has access to its potential. In programming, this means creating tools that are easy to use
“We need to democratize AI so that everyone has access to its potential,” he says.
Tools must be created that are easy to use.
Hassabis believes that this will enable everyone to effectively use AI, maximizing its impact and benefits.
Coding is more than just knowing syntax
Fei-Fei Li, a professor at Stanford University, believes that programming skills will evolve in the future and AI will play a key role.
In the future, coding skills will evolve into problem-solving skills using AI, rather than traditional syntax knowledge
Li suggests that in the future, the key will be the ability to solve problems using AI, not just knowledge of syntax or programming language.
AI and ML skills are the new norm
Google CEO Sundar Pichai believes that developers of the future will need to be familiar with machine learning principles.
As AI advances, the best engineers will be those who understand both coding and machine learning principles
In his opinion, combining knowledge of coding and machine learning will become crucial.
The best programmers will have to adapt their skills to work with AI.
Changing the way we approach programming problems
Kai-Fu Lee, founder of Sinovation Ventures, sees AI not only as a technological breakthrough, but also as a change in the way we think about solving problems.
AI is not just a technological change; it’s a mindset shift in how we approach programming problems
According to Lee, AI will enable a new way of looking at programming challenges.
AI Supports Creativity and Critical Thinking
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Says:
AI won’t eliminate jobs, but it will change them, making creativity and critical thinking essential for software engineers
Nadella claims that AI will not make the programming profession disappear, but it will certainly change its nature.
Creativity and critical thinking will be key.
This means that you must:
- develop the ability to objectively analyze information and situations
- question assumptions
- consider different perspectives
- draw logical and rational conclusions
In the process of critical thinking, you do not accept information without thinking, but subject it to verification, looking for evidence and assessing its credibility.
Critical thinking is especially important in engineering work, because it allows you to effectively solve problems, avoid errors resulting from assumptions or mental shortcuts, and make decisions based on well-analyzed data and facts.
Developer as AI Overseer and Trainer
Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist at Meta, envisions a future where developers act as AI overseers and trainers:
Future jobs in programming will involve a lot of AI supervision, because machines are not perfect and need human oversight
His statement that “Future jobs in programming will involve a lot of AI supervision, because machines are not perfect and need human oversight” means that even the most advanced AI systems cannot function completely autonomously.
In practice, this means that future programmers will not only code algorithms, but also monitor the performance of AI systems, adjust their settings, and be responsible for their ethical functioning.
The role of an AI “coach” would therefore involve continuously improving models by providing relevant data, correcting errors that the AI may make, and adapting systems to new circumstances and challenges.
Responsibility for overseeing AI decision-making will be important, requiring both technical knowledge and an understanding of ethics and responsible decision-making.
As an AI overseer, a programmer must understand why the model made a decision, be prepared to challenge it, and be able to recognize when the system is performing suboptimally or taking actions that could be harmful.
The role of a programmer in the future will evolve from the classic "code creator" to a person who manages and supervises the development of AI systems with full responsibility, ensuring that they operate not only effectively, but also in accordance with social norms and values.
Adaptation as the Key to Advantage
Andrew Ng adds that the future belongs to those developers who successfully adopt AI in their daily work:
Artificial Intelligence will not replace programmers, but programmers who use AI will replace those who don’t
His words: “Artificial Intelligence will not replace programmers, but programmers who use AI will replace those who don’t” – indicate that AI is important in building a competitive advantage in the labor market.
Programmers who work faster and more efficiently thanks to AI are becoming more desirable because they help companies save time and costs.
In a world of accelerating automation, those who do not implement AI risk losing out to more versatile colleagues.
Final thoughts
AI is becoming an increasingly important element of programming, but as industry authorities point out, it is not a threat, but an opportunity for development.
Artificial intelligence will allow programmers to implement more complex projects, but requires acquiring new skills - from data analysis to AI supervision.
The future of programming is not about excluding humans, but about cooperation with AI, where programmers will manage systems and create more creative solutions.
What's Next?
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For our Polish-speaking readers, this article is also available in Polish here: Przyszłość programowania w erze sztucznej inteligencji – perspektywy liderów branży