I teach computer science at Montana State University. I am the father of three sons who all know I am a computer programmer and one of whom, at least, has expressed interest in the field. I love computer programming and try to communicate that love to my sons, the students in my classes and anyone else who will listen.
A question I am increasingly getting from relatives, friends and students is:
Given AI, should I still consider becoming a computer programmer?
My response to this is: “Yes, and…”
🤡
🤡 🤡 🤡
I mean I am a programmer and while I don’t submit many changes written by AI, I review plenty written with its help, and plenty of those are actually decent. Plenty are shit or pointless, some execs’ expectations are utterly insane (“you’ll be submitting a hundred changes a week”). But plenty of others are sensible.
If you interpret “their expectations” as “better”, then let me correct that assumption. Their expectations are to crank out more with less. More what? Yes.
The future is slop code everywhere because profit driven execs will no longer be limited by quality conscious engineers.
Yeah, but it might take years for these slop companies to actually collapse under the weight of their own tech debt. Do you know how many quarters that is!
It is so many quarters. Line go up! Shareholders left holding the bag of shit.
Will they collapse? I don’t think you are taking into consideration the rampant corruption in the government. We’re going to end up footing the bill…I guarantee it.
We are footing the bill already. The average 401k is paying the CEOs salary while they gut each company.
But yes, they will leverage the government to squeeze a bit more, in the end.