Ask HN: What can I a software engineer do when I'm replaced by ChatGPT? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What can I a software engineer do when I'm replaced by ChatGPT?

1 pointJaDogg14 comments

We do not know what happens in the future but let's assume that we get AI to a level it can easily translate a grunt from a domain expert to a working + fast code. Based on same assumption, It can probably then easily deploy and maintain it as well.

I am getting mental whiplash from all the ChatGPT replace developers and will not replace developers arguments.

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What kind of jobs that I can pivot to?

I would also like to write code on my personal time.

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Background:

I am not an expert in Mathematics (will probably do OK at high school level) and have no other experience except building Software. I can run a good retro session. Would consider myself a generalist.

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> but let's assume that we get AI to a level it can easily translate a grunt from a domain expert to a working + fast code.

That sounds equivalent to saying "what if we develop true AGI?" and the short answer is that I don't think we can know what the effect will be. ChatGPT isn't AGI and it isn't remotely clear what you have to do to push it there.

Is it going to be practical for the sorts of companies that pay developers now to license AGI? If not, the sort of AI that can do development might be a high end luxury.

Any sort of general AGI developer would effectively be a consultant and we pay people to manage consultants all the time. Would this hypothetical AGI require specialized tending? If so, we might just switch to being AI Developers instead of Java/C#/Python/etc. Developers.

Does this AGI developer require architectural guidance? Maybe we are all software architects presiding over squads of AI programmers.

Is AGI so good and so cheap that the market for information workers dries up? If not, maybe we take our problem solving skills to another area. If so, the economy will change so drastically I don't think it's possible to know what the outcome will be.

All in all, I guess I would say to worry less. You can't foresee or control the outcome and you don't have a better plan. So be agile, wait and see. Act when you see opportunity.

I have to act on opportunity indeed.

Develop domain expertise, where by “domain” I mean the business domain of the company you are working for. Switch companies if you are working for one whose business domain is too trivial, e.g. stuff widely (or more than superficially) discussed on the internet. AI won’t catch up that quickly to such domain expertise, especially in areas where companies care about their corporate knowledge not being shared with the big AI tech companies.

In the longer run, try to get into a position where you can be one of the roles that shepherd the AIs working for your employer. It won’t be AIs all the way down (or up), probably.

Interesting take this is something to think about thank you.

If its any consolation, I was having a beer with my law professor buddy the other night, and it seems that universities and lawyers are freaking out about chatGPT much more than us programmers.

If we can seriously consider the idea that developers will be made redundant by GPT-x, then there is a long line of other professions in the same boat. If this is happening, really happening, the the whole labor market is probably toast for a generation and we are all either going on basic income or fighting over the scraps.

But personally, I think this might be a good productivity booster, but will take another 10 years to really change how work is done.

> But personally, I think this might be a good productivity booster, but will take another 10 years to really change how work is done.

Hopefully!

https://www.thegrovestead.com/durabletrades/

You would presumably do the same thing most assembly-language programmers did when they were replaced by compilers a few decades ago.

we're always gonna need ditchdiggers

too fat for that. probably a good time to prepare hehe

Pursue the epicurean dream. Sadly google didn’t respond outside of “Epicurus” and “Epicurean”. So tldr; Do live in a self sufficient walled garden community with your friends ([*]don’t do drugs, drink, and have sex all day.)

Don’t “just” do drugs, drink, and have sex all day. :/

haha

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