Will AI Be the End of Programmers? What Happens to the IT Industry?

Recently, the online community has been actively discussing the challenges of finding jobs in the IT sector. It has become particularly difficult for juniors to secure positions, and the situation is further exacerbated by mass layoffs and hiring freezes. In light of these events, many are questioning whether it is even worth entering the IT field and spending time on courses. What are the prospects for this industry?

One of the main reasons for the current state of affairs is the rapid development of artificial intelligence, which took most professionals by surprise. To understand the scale of the changes, one only needs to look at the StackOverflow graph: the number of queries has almost halved since the release of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022. This statistic clearly indicates significant shifts in the industry's needs and development directions.

The Growing Influence of AI on Programming

In a world where everything changes daily, the arrival of ChatGPT and Copilot marked a new era in the daily life of programmers. Previously, fixing an error meant spending hours searching through endless forums and technical blogs. Now, comfortably settled at your workstation, you can simply ask a chatbot, and it will offer a solution—quickly and in a friendly manner.

Of course, not everything is perfect, and sometimes ChatGPT makes mistakes, which can cause quite a bit of trouble and even irritation, especially when comments like "nothing works, stupid chat with an old database" start to sound more frequent. But if approached wisely, the benefits of such innovations are undeniable.

For those with extensive experience in programming and adept at finding solutions to code-related issues, these new tools significantly simplify the job. Programmers who remember the times when StackOverflow was indispensable will probably smile, recalling the memes about how they "asked" for solutions from this resource before it was "parsed" by new technologies.

ChatGPT, StackOverflow was an essential tool for developers, a true beacon in the tumultuous sea of coding. I not only searched for solutions there but also actively participated in the community life: posing questions, responding to them, and even spending some time in the top 5% of its users—an achievement that, though it seemed not so difficult, was indeed significant. But StackOverflow was not the only island of knowledge. We, developers, also delved into the depths of GitHub, Reddit, and other resources in search of those precious answers. And while using StackOverflow might have seemed simple, in reality, to truly benefit from it required substantial expertise and the ability to articulate one's thoughts and questions clearly.

Significant Academic Insights

In my search for additional arguments, I stumbled upon a scientific study by "British scientists" that reveals the profound impact of AI on the work of programmers. According to this study, published on the arXiv platform, future software engineers must not only master coding but also possess important "soft" skills such as problem-solving and interpersonal communication. https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.13229

The research emphasizes that AI is capable of automating many tasks currently performed by programmers, leading to significant changes in their professional roles. Now, as software development increasingly incorporates the use of AI, programmers face increasingly complex challenges. Clearly, the profession of a software engineer must adapt to new realities and changes in the technological landscape to remain relevant and effective in the ever-changing world of the future.

In addition to the first study, my attention was drawn to another analysis published in the "World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews," which examines the impact of artificial intelligence on employability. This study confirms that AI affects nearly all workers, causing qualitative changes in work processes. https://wjarr.com/content/artificial-intelligence-its-impact-employability

The authors note that currently, it is not so much the automation of positions as it is the automation of individual tasks. Routine tasks, as known, are the first candidates for automation, and as many processes become routine over time, the trend toward automation only strengthens. This means that professions dominated by routine tasks undergo the greatest changes and require workers to develop new skills and competencies to adapt to the new work reality. Such changes underscore the importance of flexibility and the ability to learn as key qualities in the modern technological world.

The Future and AI's Expanding Role

Leading figures from tech giants such as OpenAI, Stability AI, Nvidia, and others unanimously claim that in five years, the role of human programmers will become a thing of the history. Already today, a staggering 41% of the code on GitHub is not born of human intellect but is generated by artificial intelligence.

At the same time, many companies find themselves at a crossroads: they are unsure how to adapt to the rapidly changing realities, where to move next, and how to adjust their processes. Although programmers' productivity has increased thanks to automation, the overall business productivity often remains at the same level, creating a paradox: many programmers face a lack of tasks. This situation opens up a vast field for work on optimizing business processes.

The role of AI is set to only increase in the future, and this unstoppable process poses the question: How will events develop further in this tense alliance between man and machine?

In today's world, many companies find themselves in a state of confusion, facing uncertainty about what steps to take next and how to adapt their processes to new realities. Paradoxically, even though the productivity of programmers has increased due to automation, the overall business productivity often remains at the same level. This creates a unique situation where highly skilled programmers sometimes find no use for their abilities, opening the door to the necessity for optimizing work processes.

Artificial intelligence continues to gain momentum, and its role in the future will only grow. This prospect raises questions about how companies can use AI to enhance their operations, not just as a tool for reducing the workforce.

The complex becomes simple

Research and practical experience confirm that employers and clients are willing to pay a high price for complex tasks, while compensation for routine work always remains low. Complex tasks from the past gradually become simple due to technological progress. For instance, in the 90s, a person who could reinstall Windows or connect a printer was worth their weight in gold.

What previously required significant effort, such as creating a simple Django application to manage warehouse inventory and handle payment transactions, is now greatly simplified thanks to the availability of template solutions from services like ChatGPT. Adding a new endpoint for an API or processing data from JSON, which might have seemed challenging before, are now accessible even to those with limited programming knowledge. These changes highlight how rapidly the technological world is evolving, turning yesterday's challenges into today's routines.

What is the future for programmers?

In a world where technology evolves at an astonishing pace, many wonder whether it's worth learning to program and delve into the technological depths. The answer is as dynamic as the industry itself—absolutely, yes.

Programming is not just about writing code; it's the art of solving business problems and translating them into a language understandable by machines. Knowing a programming language opens not just doors to the IT world but also enhances abstract thinking, improving the ability to tackle complex problems in any field.

It's important not just to keep up with changes in trends but to actively participate in the evolution of technology. Striving to solve complex problems, expanding knowledge areas, exploring under-researched fields, and applying creative approaches to changing business processes are keys to success. Exploring the possibilities of AI creation and engaging in this process can be not just a professional challenge but also a profitable investment, considering the expected growth in the industry's capitalization.

Thus, those ready to take on unsolved problems and contribute to the development of new ideas and solutions will find their place in this rapidly evolving world. Programming is much more than just coding; it's an opportunity to be at the forefront of modern scientific and technological progress.

What should we do?

No one knows what's gonna happen. But there's a piece of wisdom that says:

Always learn and try to solve difficult problems!

When, after reading this article, you're trying to concentrate and solve complex problems