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Thoughts on the Future of Software Development

sheshbabu.com

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Re: Thoughts on the Future of Software Development

#3
Large language models could be used to configure abstract syntax trees for desired behaviour, since much of devops and software architecture is slotting configuration together.

Kubernetes, linkerd, envoy, istio, cloudformation, terraform, cdk.

We're just configuring schedules and binpacking computation and data movement into a calendar.

The semantic space of understanding behaviour is different to understanding syntax.

Re: Thoughts on the Future of Software Development

#4
I don’t do much on internet, i don’t have facebook nor other various socials, just HN, or read simple docs, or code. Otherwise I’m AFK. Now since October Ive visited 4 sites that were not simple reading stuff, that I had to interact or do various level of meaningful stuff, and all 4 had issues and were expecting me to call support etc. I hope in the future of software development there are more automated tests and less hiring managers

Re: Thoughts on the Future of Software Development

#5
Now combine this approach with concepts of no-code, which takes the task of writing lines of code out of the path from concept to production. An AI could easily create instructions that could be fed to bubble to create an app. Either bubble is already working on this or someone else is and bubble will miss the boat.

Re: Thoughts on the Future of Software Development

#6
post #2

> the main argument against automating these tasks was that machines can’t think creatively. Now this argument gets weaker by the day. Citation needed.

I mean it’s definitely a weaker argument than 2 years ago.

AI may very well plateau, but it might not.

Re: Thoughts on the Future of Software Development

#7

Large language models could be used to configure abstract syntax trees for desired behaviour, since much of devops and software architecture is slotting configuration together. Kubernetes, linkerd, envoy, istio, cloudformation, terraform, cdk. We're just configuring schedules and binpacking computation and data movement into a calendar. The semantic space of understanding behaviour is different to understanding synta…

That’s the easiest part of the job, yes. That’s why there are so many tutorials on getting that stuff set up

Re: Thoughts on the Future of Software Development

#8
post #7

Large language models could be used to configure abstract syntax trees for desired behaviour, since much of devops and software architecture is slotting configuration together. Kubernetes, linkerd, envoy, istio, cloudformation, terraform, cdk. We're just configuring schedules and binpacking computation and data movement into a calendar. The semantic space of understanding behaviour is different to understanding synta…

That’s the easiest part of the job, yes. That’s why there are so many tutorials on getting that stuff set up

Unfortunately it's unmaintainable and cannot be transformed without full time DevOps or SREs.

Re: Thoughts on the Future of Software Development

#9
I think the expanded pie argument is probably valid to an extent. If costs go down, demand goes up. Also, I suspect new entrants to the field will start to slow as it won't be as lucrative as it once was. This is exactly what happened after outsourcing threatened wages in the 00's - followed by insanely high compensation in the 10's.

Re: Thoughts on the Future of Software Development

#10
I've been using computers since I was about 12...long time ago. What I've come to the conclusion is this: the best programs and the best tools are the ones that are lovingly (and perhaps with a bit of hate too) crafted by their developers. The best software ecosystems are the ones that are developed slowly and with care.

AI coding seems all wrong compared to that world. In fact, the only reason why there is a push for AI coding is because the software world of the ol' days has been co-opted by the evolutionary forces of consumerism and capitalism into a pathology, a nightmare that exists only to push us with dark patterns into using things and buying things that we don't really need. It takes the joy out of software development by placing two gods above all else that is mortal and good: efficiency and profit.

AI seems antithetical to the hacker ethic, not because it's not an intriguing project, but because within it seems to be the deep nature of automating away much of the joy of life. And yes, people can still use AI to be creative in some ways such as with AI prompts for art, but even so, the overall societal effect is the eroding of the bespoke and the custom and the personal from a human endeavor whose roots were once tinkering with machines and making them work for us, and whose final result is now US working for THEM.

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