The World of Programming Will Change But...

I’ve tried for a long time to resist diving headfirst into this incredibly boring discussion about whether or not AI will replace software developers in the future.

I keep reporting the countless posts flooding my LinkedIn feed on the topic, but since it’s a platform that works terribly, they inevitably show up again the next day.

I said it before: my opinion is that the world of programming will change. It’s technology, and technology has always gone through evolutions. That’s how it’s been since the Stone Age.

There will be quantum computers, new advances in physics and chemistry, new materials, and further miniaturisation. The world will change for better and for worse. AI will be used for malicious purposes (it’s started already), many humans will suffer, new laws will emerge, and the usual incompetent politicians will fight over the issue. They will come up with flawed legislation that technologists will harshly criticise, since they actually understand the subject, unlike power-hungry and money-hungry politicians.

Same old story.

The current debate about software, however, misses a crucial point and creates confusion: building software products does not mean writing code, or at least not only that. Writing code is just a microscopic part of building a software product.

Conceiving an idea, discussing it, breaking it down into problems, separating the wheat from the chaff, fighting the psychology of managers with oversized egos, pushing back against absurd requests, establishing frequent, fast, and effective feedback loops, facilitating collaboration, persuading developers, guiding them, resolving critical issues, ensuring psychological safety and inclusivity, and managing an organisation as a system are all part of the process. Understanding power dynamics and knowing how to navigate relationships within a company is essential to achieving the best results given the constraints.

Will AI ever be able to tackle all of that?

Asking ChatGPT how to write a function is like looking at a tiny, isolated planet. Creating a software product means looking at the entire galaxy.