AI for the Common Man (Might need a new conversation Name)

[MacBoy]

Love it, it’s amazing what was done in less than a day.

AI rocks for software developers when used with purposeful intention.

I do wonder what might be the dramatic change at the morning SCRUM standup meetings.

Me on a blocker: “dumb AI robot keeps spinning in recursive circles making things worse“

Project Manager: “Why is this a multi-day estimate? Can’t you type faster for the prompts to the AI robot“

 

[Vondawg]

Excuse the small stray…but for someone never in this kind of job, and with AI able to do this stuff in record time, what stops a company from hiring a capable, younger, (for starting pay) employee to us AI ? Or at least one to take the place of maybe 3 I would think a lot of senior coders would be threatened of this scenario …I don’t know (at all) maybe there is plenty of work in this field. Any thoughts @4nthony, as someone with alot of this experience ?

 

[mino]

Excuse the small stray…but for someone never in this kind of job, and with AI able to do this stuff in record time, what stops a company from hiring a capable, younger, (for starting pay) employee to us AI ? Or at least one to take the place of maybe 3 I would think a lot of senior coders would be threatened of this scenario …I don’t know (at all) maybe there is plenty of work in this field. Any thoughts @4nthony, as someone with alot of this experience ?

Nothing.

It is very effective in having the company which does that go successfully under.

The LLM-based "AI" of today is no AI in the sci-fi meaning of the term. There is no actual self-awareness nor consciousness involved whatsoever.

It is a /very/ sophisticated auto-complete. You need a human directing the 'agents' else you end up with effectively random gibberish.

A great servant but a horrible master. In the fire quip way.

 

[4nthony]

Here's a couple interesting articles on the topic. First one is long but worth the read. Second is more focused on coding.

Something Big Is Happening

A personal note for non-tech friends and family on what AI is starting to change.

shumer.dev

Grief and the AI Split

TL;DR: AI-assisted coding is revealing a split among developers that was always there but invisible when we all worked the same way. I've felt the grief too—but mine resolved differently than I expected, and I think that says something about what kind of developer I've been all along.

blog.lmorchard.com

 

[Vondawg]

Here's a couple interesting articles on the topic. First one is long but worth the read. Second is more focused on coding.

Something Big Is Happening

A personal note for non-tech friends and family on what AI is starting to change.

shumer.dev

Grief and the AI Split

TL;DR: AI-assisted coding is revealing a split among developers that was always there but invisible when we all worked the same way. I've felt the grief too—but mine resolved differently than I expected, and I think that says something about what kind of developer I've been all along.

blog.lmorchard.com

Yes I thank you as well…the first one Ive seen part of somehow. Very useful in the right context

 

[mino]

I would just warn you folks that the 'first' guy is literally promoting you to buy/use the stuff he lives off.

Not discounting his observations of the state of affairs, which are mostly sound and well put. But do keep that in mind when assessing his "recommendations".

That ignores the fact a 'tech guy' would have a limited social awareness /this one certainly does/ which will see him overestimate the value of certain stuff as he looks at all jobs as "mechanistic tasks" which they are not in practice.

He lists lawyers a lot for a reason - in US lots of law practice is case research. This is not so outside the US/UK Common Law space and neither does this translate to other "white collar" professions necessarily.

In a view of a tech bro, you can replace the receiving nurse at a practice with an AI agent that will give "better" advice. Sure. On paper you can. In practice. No. Not even if there was actual AGI behind. You want the nurse to have an 'AI assistant' though.


I will make one critical observation:
To control a fire, you need to have dominance over it.

To be able to leverage AI, you need to be at least roughly at the level of the AI to be able to direct/guide it.
This increases your qualification requirements and will be a big problem once junior jobs go away. And this is why the consensus is that junior/simple cognitive jobs will be affected the most.

 

[Duckler]

I would just warn you folks that the 'first' guy is literally promoting you to buy/use the stuff he lives off.

Not discounting his observations of the state of affairs, which are mostly sound and well put. But do keep that in mind when assessing his "recommendations".

That ignores the fact a 'tech guy' would have a limited social awareness /this one certainly does/ which will see him overestimate the value of certain stuff as he looks at all jobs as "mechanistic tasks" which they are not in practice.

He lists lawyers a lot for a reason - in US lots of law practice is case research. This is not so outside the US/UK Common Law space and neither does this translate to other "white collar" professions necessarily.

In a view of a tech bro, you can replace the receiving nurse at a practice with an AI agent that will give "better" advice. Sure. On paper you can. In practice. No. Not even if there was actual AGI behind. You want the nurse to have an 'AI assistant' though.


I will make one critical observation:
To control a fire, you need to have dominance over it.

To be able to leverage AI, you need to be at least roughly at the level of the AI to be able to direct/guide it.
This increases your qualification requirements and will be a big problem once junior jobs go away. And this is why the consensus is that junior/simple cognitive jobs will be affected the most.

My speculation about the people on the inside who are all AI-is-better-than-invention-of-canned-beer > >
Somehow AI has gaslit them so the groupthink is really strong.
On top of that, the term AI (artificial intelligence) is too clever by half. Anyone who knows much history is aware of the original Luddites.
(For those few who are unaware, these were people who were getting displaced by automation when more advanced looms were developed for cloth-making. They gathered as mobs and destroyed the machines that were taking their jobs and livelihood.
Once upon a time to make a phone call a human switchboard operator had to be involved.
Punch card machine operators were essential to run computer programs!?
There are always winners and losers.
So I don’t know what jobs will be invented/discovered over next 10 to 20 years. This is just the next chapter in innovation and the march of progress.
Anyone else?

 

[MacBoy]

I do have concerns for the young folks and their (lack of) future employment.

Wife holds me back from advising couples not to have kids (adding to the oncoming problem).

Society is not ready for the dramatic shift from a white collar workforce to a blue collar workforce.

Then the problem will be further compounded when there are less people who can pay the blue collar workers.

Pessimistic? Perhaps.

When in midst of a big change, there is much opportunity. And it’s appropriate to future think the scenarios. Play out the “what if”.