If AI is helping people code better, why aren't products getting better? • Hacker News Board

Re: If AI is helping people code better, why aren't products getting better?

#91

Post by JohnBooty » Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 1:46 PM UTC

shepherdjerred wrote: post #14

Why would there be a correlation between how fast something is developed and its quality? Assuming that AI is helping developers to write more code, it could mean: * there are fewer developers * developers are working less * the efficiency gains are resulting in more products being created rather than existing products being improved * AI isn't widely enough adopted or used to make enough of a difference * the benefi…

    the efficiency gains are resulting in more 
    products being created rather than existing 
    products being improved

This has been perhaps the only constant in the history of this industry. As software tooling and hardware get better, we never really feel or see the gains because companies and individual developers are pressed to do more.

If a tool makes my job 2x easier, then I'm simply expected to have 2x more output. Not 2x "better" output.

Re: If AI is helping people code better, why aren't products getting better?

#92

Post by blibble » Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 1:50 PM UTC

bad developers emitting more code has never led to anything good

unless you're being paid to clean up the mess

it's like outsourcing on steroids

Re: If AI is helping people code better, why aren't products getting better?

#93

Post by vouaobrasil » Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 1:54 PM UTC

Duh. Products are not about making life better. They are about stimulating basal instincts for information and novelty. If a company can do that with a horrible user experience, they will. Although I personally have never used substances or drugs, I think it must be similar to drug addiction. Provide just enough of new technology as fast as possible to keep the users high and addicted.

Re: If AI is helping people code better, why aren't products getting better?

#94

Post by DanHulton » Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 1:54 PM UTC

Simple, really. It's not actually helping people to code better:

https://greaterdanorequalto.com/ai-code-generation-as-an-age...

Re: If AI is helping people code better, why aren't products getting better?

#95

Post by feverzsj » Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 1:57 PM UTC

A toy can only make you happy ... for a while.

Re: If AI is helping people code better, why aren't products getting better?

#96

Post by Cthulhu_ » Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 1:57 PM UTC

Because the quality / goodness of a product has little to do with the underlying code. Second, is it actually helping people code better? That's a claim that needs some paperwork to back it up, and first off all with a definition of "good".

Re: If AI is helping people code better, why aren't products getting better?

#97

Post by gadders » Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 1:57 PM UTC

I think it is helping them generate the same code faster, rather than generate code with different functionality.

Re: If AI is helping people code better, why aren't products getting better?

#98

Post by TechSquidTV » Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 1:58 PM UTC

Are they not?

Re: If AI is helping people code better, why aren't products getting better?

#99

Post by jamalaramala » Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 2:00 PM UTC

userbinator wrote: post #22

AI only helps those who are below-average to become (barely) average --- and that average is dropping. Also, quantity is not quality.

*Nobody is above-average in everything*.

You can be above-average in your favourite programming language, but suck at the system or library that will be required in your next project.

AI will help you get up to speed.

Re: If AI is helping people code better, why aren't products getting better?

#100

Post by zabil » Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 2:00 PM UTC

Because coding assistants depend on the baselined code they are trained on for their suggestions?

I don't believe they offer creative solutions, just a faster way to refer. So it's still the responsibility of developers bring their creativity to the process.