Unlock the Power of Low Code, No Code: Revolutionizing Development

ChatGPT: A Programmer’s Best Friend or Worst Nightmare?

Potential threats to programmers from ChatGPT

In the realm of technology, ChatGPT has quickly become the talk of the town. It was comparatively unheard of just six months ago, but it has since received a great deal of attention. 

The brainchild of AI research company OpenAI, this cutting-edge chatbot is capable of performing an array of tasks, including programming, debugging, music composition, and answering test questions. However, while its remarkable abilities are undoubtedly impressive, they also give rise to certain concerns:

  • Is ChatGPT a threat to programmers?
  • Will it affect students’ education as it can write essays and answer test questions?

Let’s dive deep and explore whether ChatGPT is a friend or a foe of programmers.

It is essential to explore ChatGPT’s underlying mechanics in order to fully understand it. This artificial intelligence-backed tool works on a massive knowledge base, the size of which is directly related to the quality of its results. When compared to what humans can do, ChatGPT’s processing abilities are above average, giving it a distinct advantage.

Nevertheless, it is vital to note that despite its impressive functionality, ChatGPT does have limitations. For instance, it lacks the creative prowess that humans possess, hindering its ability to generate out-of-the-box ideas and imaginative solutions. 

Furthermore, the internet houses an array of information, the majority of which has not yet been audited. ChatGPT uses this massive database to provide accurate responses to user questions. Therefore, it is not advised to rely solely on ChatGPT. 

Moving on, let us shift our focus to ChatGPT’s programming capabilities. Upon being prompted to write a C code that determines whether a given number is a perfect square, ChatGPT provided a standard solution. Nevertheless, when pushed for more solutions, it eventually ran out of its knowledge base. This particular example illustrates that ChatGPT cannot serve as a complete replacement for human programmers. 

So, the question is: Is ChatGPT a threat to programmers? In other words, if an AI tool is good at writing and fixing code, does that mean that human programmers are obsolete?

Thus, the answer to the question of whether ChatGPT will replace programmers is both YES and NO. The features of ChatGPT do have the potential to reduce the need for programmers to some extent. It is better than human programmers at sorting through vast amounts of data and producing large amounts of data.

However, it is essential to bear in mind that ChatGPT is an AI, lacking the NI (Natural Intelligence) that human beings possess. Ultimately, ChatGPT may be able to offer solutions to specific problems, but it cannot replace human programmers entirely.

Those tasked with managing large projects with multiple independent modules and teams, as well as those tasked with maintaining business applications that rely on original paper-based documentation, can feel safe and assured of job security for the next 5-7 years.

However, professionals who specialize in exclusively technical software applications that cannot be replaced by AI (such as virtual machines, emulators, and other low-level instrumentation software), drivers, integration interfaces, frameworks, application servers, and other core software, can also be assured of their job security for the next decade to fifteen years.

If we assume that half of the programming jobs will be displaced by AI, those impacted may need to consider reskilling or transitioning into new technical areas. Promising domains for such transitions may include the development of tools based on AI systems like ChatGPT, that offer the potential to further streamline workloads. Curating and expanding ChatGPT’s knowledge base, developing ChatGPT-like frameworks for controlled environments, and specializing in data management and security may also present compelling new opportunities for professionals affected by these shifts.

In summary, ChatGPT does not pose a significant threat to programmers as a whole. Instead, it might change the basic requirements for entry-level jobs, pushing programmers to learn a more specialized and nuanced set of skills. Still, AI isn’t likely to completely replace all programming jobs, and skilled programmers will continue to be very important in the changing tech world.