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Mark Zuckerberg says AI could soon do the work of Meta's midlevel engineers

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Re: Mark Zuckerberg says AI could soon do the work of Meta's midlevel engineers

#61
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If that's the case, I don't think we have anything to worry about anyway. If productivity actually drops then I suspect that this program will be sunsetted.

Have you found the fabled solution for measuring programmer productivity?

No, but I do feel like if every programmer were to complain that all they do is babysit AI code, and if we see that most of their commits are fixing mistakes of AI code (e.g. wrapping stuff with null checks or something), eventually management would listen.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg says AI could soon do the work of Meta's midlevel engineers

#64
post #42

Sure, for some meaning of "work" we've been there already for decades. I don't think anyone is doubting that AI can increase productivity (and in this sense, displace midlevel engineers) but I don't see any reason to suspect that AI can replace a given engineer.

You can hire less people if they are more productive. Or you can do more things.

Sure but that's not really replacing workers at all, it's just moving the work around. Same as every other automation technology of our lifetimes. Very odd to position this in terms of replacing workers rather than increasing productivity, even if they are equivalent as I pointed out.

I have no clue why Zuckerberg would want to position stuff this way if a) it's just going to get people more upset and b) can't deliver on his claims.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg says AI could soon do the work of Meta's midlevel engineers

#66
How to tell everyone that you don't know what SWEs do...

They aren't slinging pig iron into train cars.

If you are in the C* suite and believe this you need to find someone to feed context up to you stat.

Probably why lean, Toyota, agile failed too...

History will be far more likely to remember you as a tulip salesman than an innovator.

Hint, the code isn't your problem.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg says AI could soon do the work of Meta's midlevel engineers

#69
post #38

i'm quite surprised by the level of skepticism in this thread. I've been developping my website + webservice + db only using cursor "composer" mode, not typing a single line of code, and i'm already with something fully functional. I am voluntarely refraining from fixing the bugs myself by digging into the code, just to see how far someone with 0 coding skill can go. And this answer is : as far as a junior / midlevel…

That's because most of the engineers or coders in this thread are in fear their job won't exist in a few years and they will have to go learn a completely different skill to make a wage. It's hard to admit you may not have a job in x years time because a computer took it.

But let's be real here, 90% of software and coding is taking x performing an action on it so the user can consume y. It's basic stuff. Much like how we don't write machine code these days and we use a compiler, your bonkers if you think your going to be writing python or c in the future and not just saying give me x and y from z.

You will still get folks writing code in some obscure areas, but most of us will switch to describing system and app flows and have the code written by ai and in areas utilize ai's to get tasks done. The theory of software construction from a high level will become more important than actual language mastery on the low level.

The folks saying it won't are much like the horse riders of yesteryear who said cars would never replace horses.

Re: Mark Zuckerberg says AI could soon do the work of Meta's midlevel engineers

#70

The whole debate about whether or not he can realistically do this based on the state of the technology seems like a side issue to me. What really stands out is that he and CEOs like him would imply that a large, critical segment of their work force is not especially valuable to them, and also that they don't really see them as people. Rather, they are things that can be set aside as soon as they aren't needed. These…

Lol your no different as a coder to any other employee in any role on any jobsite. If a business owner can replace you with tech for less, they will. Unionizing won't save you from being made redundant.

Can't unionize against being outskilled by a machine. Much like in construction, why hire a hundred men to shovel when I can hire one bloke and a excavator? Why use a hammer when I've got a nailgun?

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