Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Programmers? - Lex Fridman (film, 3m)
In the latest episode of Lex Clips, Lex addressed an important issue for programmers concerned about the future of their profession due to the rise of artificial intelligence. A listener shared their deep fear that AI might soon surpass their programming skills. This feeling is understandable, especially for those who view programming as both a passion and a career path. Lex emphasized that while AI tools like Claude can generate excellent code, there are still areas where traditional programming skills remain essential.
The programmer expressed that the future may require a shift from traditional coding to crafting natural language prompts. Lex advised programmers to start using code-generating tools like Cursor, which is based on VS Code and integrates AI features in a way that simplifies coding and editing processes. Modern tools can help in transitioning from coding techniques to high-level design, allowing programmers to focus on the bigger picture.
Listeners were encouraged to rethink their approach to programming by focusing on designing and editing the code generated by AI instead of writing it from scratch. Lex stresses the importance of developing both programming skills and the ability to effectively utilize LLM tools. This way of thinking promotes adaptability to the ever-evolving job market.
Many professionals in various fields can benefit from learning to collaborate with AI to enhance their work quality rather than fearing for their positions. While the fear of job displacement due to AI is natural, Lex believes that humans will eventually find ways to work alongside technology without losing their value.
In conclusion, the statistics from this podcast episode indicate that at the time of writing this article, it has garnered 127521 views and 4212 likes. This shows that the topic resonates deeply with a wide audience, highlighting its relevance in today's tech landscape.
Toggle timeline summary
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The speaker introduces a question on AI, expressing an emotional connection.
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A programmer shares their fear of becoming irrelevant due to AI advancements.
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The speaker acknowledges the fear, relating it to their own experiences.
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They discuss their feelings towards AI-generated code affecting their profession.
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The speaker compares AI's capabilities to collective intelligence on platforms like Stack Overflow.
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They predict the future of programming will focus on natural language prompts.
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Advice is given to adapt to evolving coding tools and technology.
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The speaker shares their recent transitions between code editors.
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They describe Cursor, an editor that facilitates LLM code generation.
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Emphasis is placed on mastering code generation capabilities of LLMs.
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The speaker advocates for editing AI-generated code instead of writing from scratch.
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The importance of leveraging AI is highlighted, suggesting it can enhance job performance.
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The speaker acknowledges the real fear of job displacement but believes adaptation is possible.
Transcription
Okay, next up, I got a question on AI, which I emotionally connected with. I'll condense it as follows. Hello Lex, I'm a programmer and I have a deep fear of slipping into irrelevance because I am worried that AI will soon exceed my programming skills. Let me first say that I relate to your fear. It's scary to have a thing that gives you a career and gives you meaning to be taken away. For me, programming is a passion, and if not for this podcast, it would probably, at least in part, be my profession. So I get an uncomfortable feeling every time Claude, the alum I use for coding at this time, just writes a lot of excellent, approximately correct code. I think you can make a good case that it already exceeds the skill of many programmers, at least in the same way that the collective intelligence of Stack Overflow exceeds the skill of many programmers, many individual programmers. But in many ways, it still does not. But I think eventually, more and more, the task, the profession of programming will be one of writing natural language prompts. I think the right thing to do, and what I'm at least doing, is to ride the wave of the ever-improving code-generating LLMs and keep transforming myself into a big-picture designer versus low-level tinkerer. What I'm doing, and what I recommend you do, is continually switch to whatever state-of-the-art tool is for generating code. So for me currently, I recently switched from VS Code to Cursor, and before that it was Emacs to VS Code switch. So Cursor is this editor that's based on VS Code that leans heavily on LLMs and integrates the code generation really nicely into the editing process. So it makes it super easy to continually use the LLMs. So what I would advise, and what I'm trying to do myself, is to learn how to use it and to master its code generation capabilities. I personally try to now allocate a significant amount of time to designing with natural language first, versus writing code from scratch. So using my understanding of programming to edit the code that's generated by the LLM versus writing it from scratch, and then using the LLM to generate small parts of the code. I see it as a skill that I should develop in parallel to my programming skill. I think this applies to many other careers too. Don't compete with AI for your job, learn to use the AI to do that job better. But yes, it is scary on some deep sort of human level, the threat of being replaced. But at least I think we'll be okay.