My Random Thoughts on the Future of Software Development with AI
Published: 2023-04-07 22:47:20

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title: My Random Thoughts on the Future of Software Development with AI
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With the rise of ChatGPT many things are changing as we speak, especially software development. Companies are using these ChatGPT like tools to increase developer velocity. While that's not a bad thing, I have some concerns. It will change the field I'm passionate about into a field that lacks creativity as AI advances. It will be like working in a car factory on an assembly line.  Developers will not be judged by the quality of their code but by how well they can input code requirements into a ChatGPT like tool so it can spit back code. (I left out the word quality there). 

That being said....

I can see degree requirements becoming less and less and/or you will need to have a prompt engineering certification to get a software developer job. 

I can see software developer interviews changing to where you will have to write a prompt in ChatGPT to produce certain code. You will then have to review the code and improve it where necessary (code review). 

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0jq98b5zq3l986c4wj05.png)
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ds3omd37fq08c0fs38w9.jpg)

I can see code review/scanning/linter tools really taking off by marketing themselves as anti-ChatGPT code quality tools.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0hhigi2x7ptwv3m9d337.png)

With all seriousness, the days of Jr. Developers are over. Some will argue that day came years ago but AI is making it official. 

Entry into this field will require:

Knowledge of a language (Advance)
Programming Algorithms  (Advance)
Software Design knowledge (Intermediate - Advance)
Prompt Engineering knowledge (Basic - Intermediate)

There will be no need to hire someone with basic programming skills and train them up. With AI a part of the development process, that would be a waste of time and money. Whereas now it's cost saving (I see you shaking your head).

As AI advances, the higher the bar will get because you will have to contribute to the AI.

Colleges and universities will have to up their game and change what they teach and to what depth, putting more focus on the things mentioned above.

Things are happening fast. I actually think all of this will happen in the next couple of years. I wouldn't be surprised if colleges start offering technical writing/prompt engineering degrees by next spring.

Sharpening those skills folks. LeetCode will get hot!

I can honestly see a day, in the near future, where a developer sits down, types in the code requirements and code gets generated. They review it, compile it and then create a pull request that when approved pushes it into a QA environment for someone else to test. ChatGPT wrote the code, we're good! I know this is not the way (in my Mandalorian voice), I'm being sarcastic here but it's happens, I have seen it.  And by the way you are taught/encouraged to do this to meet a sprint deadline. 

Forget two week sprints, two day sprints here we come.

What if these tools could give you a system design/architecture? I haven't tried it yet, maybe it can now but then the end will be near. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit.

Feel free to laugh, cry, call me crazy and/or comment but there is no denying this field will change.

I love to teach and mentor developers so what is happening is really interesting to me. I'm passionate about software development so wherever AI takes it, I will be on that train.

These are just my thoughts.