“Programming will be obsolete,” declared Matt Welsh, a former Google and Apple engineer, a statement that sent ripples through the tech world. Now heading an AI startup, Welsh’s prediction, while potentially biased, resonates with a growing sentiment:
“I believe the conventional idea of ‘writing a program’ is headed for extinction, and indeed, for all but very specialized applications, most software, as we know it, will be replaced by A.I. systems that are trained rather than programmed. In situations where one needs a ‘simple’ program … those programs will, themselves, be generated by an A.I. rather than coded by hand.”
Published in the Association for Computing Machinery’s flagship publication, Welsh’s argument, titled “The End of Programming,” suggests a radical shift. Yet, another perspective emerges – AI might not signify the end, but rather the beginning of a new era of programming. This new form could democratize software creation, enabling us to instruct computers in plain human language, bypassing the complexities of traditional code. Jensen Huang, CEO of chip giant Nvidia, echoed this sentiment at the Computex conference in Taiwan: “AI doesn’t care how you program it — it will try to understand what you mean… We have closed the digital divide. Everyone is a programmer now — you just have to say something to the computer.”
This raises a crucial question, especially for those considering entering the tech field: is learning to code still a valuable pursuit? For decades, computer programming has transitioned from a niche hobby to an essential skill, touted as the key to navigating the evolving digital landscape. From political figures to online commentators, the mantra has been consistent: Learn to code! It was presented as the indispensable skill for the digital age.
However, the rise of AI doesn’t negate the value of understanding code. Programming remains a worthwhile intellectual exercise, fostering problem-solving and logical thinking. Moreover, the evolution of coding itself has always been towards simplification. In the early days of computing, only experts fluent in binary could interact with machines. The journey from assembly language to more accessible languages like C, Python, and Java represents a continuous ascent through levels of abstraction. Each step made programming more user-friendly, distancing it from the intricate hardware level and bringing it closer to human comprehension.
Now, AI might be ushering in the ultimate abstraction layer. Imagine instructing a computer as naturally as conversing with another person. While the nature of programming evolves, the underlying need to understand computational logic and system architecture persists. And for those embarking on this learning journey, a fundamental question arises: what type of RAM is suitable to learn coding effectively? While AI tools might streamline the coding process, a computer with adequate RAM remains essential to run development environments, compilers, and testing software smoothly. Sufficient RAM ensures efficient multitasking and prevents performance bottlenecks, crucial for a productive learning experience.
Interestingly, programmers themselves appear to be embracing AI’s role in their profession. A survey by GitHub, Microsoft’s coding repository, involving 2,000 programmers using their AI coding assistant, Copilot, revealed positive feedback. A majority reported reduced frustration and increased job satisfaction, with 88 percent noting improved productivity. Similarly, Google researchers observed a 6 percent reduction in “coding iteration time” among their programmers using AI tools.
In conclusion, while AI may reshape the landscape of programming, declaring the “end of programming” seems premature. Instead, AI is likely to usher in a new paradigm, making programming more accessible and efficient. For aspiring coders, understanding the fundamentals remains vital, and having a computer equipped with appropriate RAM continues to be a practical necessity for effective learning and development, even as AI assists in the coding process.
