Is AI Replacing Programmers and Writers? Case of ChatGPT.
The short answer is no, not yet. AI can only do so much for us. It can be used to make a few routine tasks easier and more efficient, but it cannot replace human programmers or writers. In 1951, Alan Turing (arguably the greatest computer scientist that ever lived) said, “It seems probable that once the machine thinking method had started, it would not take long to outstrip our feeble powers. They would be able to converse with each other to sharpen their wits. At some stage therefore, we should have to expect the machines to take control.” Over 6 decades later, Turing’s words have never made more sense.
With the rise of artificial intelligence, people are now wondering if AI will replace programmers and writers. There is a lot of hype around AI and how it will disrupt industries. However, we should not think of AI as a replacement for human programmers or copywriters. It is just an assistant to help them get the job done more efficiently. The latest AI hype around programming cycles is that of ChatGPT. The first time I used the Open AI bot, I wanted ideas on how to implement a paywall for my web application. Other than providing me with suggestions on the tools to consider, the bot shared code snippets for the frontend and backend. Within seconds, I had a clear picture of what I have been trying to solve for some weeks.
The first thought that crossed my mind was that we would never need Stack Overflow again! It reminds me of the excitement of encountering ELIZA and IBM Watson before using Prolog to solve the Monkey and Banana Problem. AI was doing magic!
A simple query on ChatGPT has confirmed that we have every reason to be complacent that AI cannot replace us yet. “Who is Messi?” The question is quite straightforward for any football fan as Messi remains arguably the Greatest Footballer of All Time. Messi has achieved a lot with Barcelona, but he is currently plying his trade with France’s Paris St. Germain (PSG). Unfortunately, ChatGPT is not aware that Messi left Barcelona for PSG two seasons now!
ChatGPT can write a basic email response for you in seconds. However, it’s not intelligent enough to understand the nuance of the language and provide a comprehensive answer to your question. Thus, while the power of AI continues to expand rapidly. I am not convinced that AI will replace human beings fully. If anything, AI will just make our work easier. Are we forgetting that AI agents are creations of human beings? Human intelligence remains unbeatable! Programmers and writers, you are still safe! Stack Overflow is going nowhere either.
