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How far in the future are you wanting to consider? I don't think we're remotely close to even a primitive form of AI, let alone any AI that can program without

How far in the future are you wanting to consider? I don't think we're remotely close to even a primitive form of AI, let alone any AI that can program without human input. Personally, I'd be shocked if this happens in the next 100 years. But it's such a "new" field, that trying to predicit 100 years into the future is a crapshoot.

gls2ro 11y ago
Good question about how far. I was thinking more in the direction of what will be the next transformation of the skills needed in the programming field or the type of work to be done. I think I've got through two iterations so far: algorithmic and now integrative/automatic (I don't have a better name). The latter meaning we are now building more advanced solutions integrated in everyday life or advancing science. In this, the skillset and knowledge is much more advanced or larger then math and algorithms. So I'm wondering or fantasing what could be next? In the next 5-10 years.
bnegreve 11y ago
How do you define programming? If it's specifying a program that maps some inputs with some outputs, many AI systems are already able to do this, sometime even better than humans. For example: would you be able to write a program that can recognise people faces with 80% accuracy? Probably not but AIs can do it.
- microcolonel 11y ago
  Neural nets currently still require a program to interpret them, and that program is typically written by a human.
  - bnegreve 11y ago
    The point is that the human doesn't write a face recognition system, but a system that learns from examples. If humans cannot program AIs, who else is going to do it?
seiji 11y ago
> I'd be shocked if this happens in the next 100 years. 100 years ago it was 1915. How much has technologically progressed since then? Do you have a sense we have leveled-off (besides single-core frequencies)? Is technology like air travel where we will reach max capability soon after creation and just have to give up improving? Of course not. We're still in exponential growth phases of technology. Don't discount how quickly everything can change out from under us. > can program without human input. Much of programming is just trying all possible endpoints then seeing what works. How much of programming today is just asking Google, finding examples, then tweaking them? Most programmer jobs these days could be completely automated away given current technology if someone built it.

gls2ro 11y ago

Good question about how far. I was thinking more in the direction of what will be the next transformation of the skills needed in the programming field or the type of work to be done. I think I've got through two iterations so far: algorithmic and now integrative/automatic (I don't have a better name). The latter meaning we are now building more advanced solutions integrated in everyday life or advancing science. In this, the skillset and knowledge is much more advanced or larger then math and algorithms. So I'm wondering or fantasing what could be next? In the next 5-10 years.

bnegreve 11y ago

How do you define programming? If it's specifying a program that maps some inputs with some outputs, many AI systems are already able to do this, sometime even better than humans. For example: would you be able to write a program that can recognise people faces with 80% accuracy? Probably not but AIs can do it.

microcolonel 11y ago
Neural nets currently still require a program to interpret them, and that program is typically written by a human.
- bnegreve 11y ago
  The point is that the human doesn't write a face recognition system, but a system that learns from examples. If humans cannot program AIs, who else is going to do it?

seiji 11y ago

> I'd be shocked if this happens in the next 100 years. 100 years ago it was 1915. How much has technologically progressed since then? Do you have a sense we have leveled-off (besides single-core frequencies)? Is technology like air travel where we will reach max capability soon after creation and just have to give up improving? Of course not. We're still in exponential growth phases of technology. Don't discount how quickly everything can change out from under us. > can program without human input. Much of programming is just trying all possible endpoints then seeing what works. How much of programming today is just asking Google, finding examples, then tweaking them? Most programmer jobs these days could be completely automated away given current technology if someone built it.