4 ms·

> Certainly the rise of LLMs and generative AI isn't going to be all bad, but I've also got a feeling that not as many software developers will be needed soon s

by drdec 4y ago

> Certainly the rise of LLMs and generative AI isn't going to be all bad, but I've also got a feeling that not as many software developers will be needed soon since those who can leverage LLMs will experience a pretty decent productivity boost. OTOH, software development will become significantly cheaper. That means the business case for using software in more places just tilted in favor of throwing some software at it. You'll see more and more businesses using it, ones you didn't expect, like local mom and pop businesses. Yes, it's going to be different but I don't think we know exactly what is going to happen yet.

kefabean 4y ago
Kind of like a Jevon’s paradox for software engineering!
UncleOxidant 4y ago
> You'll see more and more businesses using it, ones you didn't expect, like local mom and pop businesses. And in a lot of cases they're not going to need to hire a software developer to do develop it.
- Karrot_Kream 4y ago
  Yeah definitely, but we already saw this coming before LLMs right? Low code solutions, site builders, I mean MS Frontpage is as old as the Web itself. Just like you needed top MechEs to build heat exchangers in the old days, nowadays a small team makes a design and technicians handle most of the actual work of assembly and maintenance. Likewise you'll probably just have low code engineers who glue existing parts together to make things work at your local cafe or restaurant. One of the reasons the work at Big Tech is so fun is because they actually need to engineer a lot of things. Smaller tech companies or businesses that utilize tech can just glue a few libraries together to make it work.
- michaelmrose 4y ago
  What do you call the person they are going to hire to use the tool or are they going to switch gears from selling painted dodads and chicken sandwiches to fire up an IDE even a web based one. The average human is only slightly smarter than the average rabbit. They are going to pay someone who specializes in this task.

by drdec 4y ago

kefabean 4y ago

Kind of like a Jevon’s paradox for software engineering!

UncleOxidant 4y ago

> You'll see more and more businesses using it, ones you didn't expect, like local mom and pop businesses. And in a lot of cases they're not going to need to hire a software developer to do develop it.

Karrot_Kream 4y ago
Yeah definitely, but we already saw this coming before LLMs right? Low code solutions, site builders, I mean MS Frontpage is as old as the Web itself. Just like you needed top MechEs to build heat exchangers in the old days, nowadays a small team makes a design and technicians handle most of the actual work of assembly and maintenance. Likewise you'll probably just have low code engineers who glue existing parts together to make things work at your local cafe or restaurant. One of the reasons the work at Big Tech is so fun is because they actually need to engineer a lot of things. Smaller tech companies or businesses that utilize tech can just glue a few libraries together to make it work.
michaelmrose 4y ago
What do you call the person they are going to hire to use the tool or are they going to switch gears from selling painted dodads and chicken sandwiches to fire up an IDE even a web based one. The average human is only slightly smarter than the average rabbit. They are going to pay someone who specializes in this task.