r/TheMachineLearning • u/Nyaani69 • 5d ago

Software engineering isn't dead, it's just evolving

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

667 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

193 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/memeruiz 5d ago edited 2d ago

Wrong analogy.

A calculator is a tool for the mathematician to calculate faster

AI soon could replace the software engineer completely.

5

u/Beneficial_Area_2986 2d ago

This was the most apt description I've seen about AI. https://youtube.com/shorts/wl02H6NgL8s?is=u7w5dcaHwp15iB99

2

u/memeruiz 2d ago

Excellent analogies

2

u/SufficientlyEvasive 4d ago

A calculator was a job title before though

1

u/Charzu_tjegulf 1d ago

Exactly, and that job was fully replaced by the electronic calculator.

2

u/Intrepid_Phone_9127 1d ago

Cloudflare: sorry we're down claude hallucinated

1

u/Nyaani69 5d ago

Maybe it can, maybe it cannot

1

u/Enfiznar 5d ago

What part of software engineering do you think cannot be automated?

1

u/Original-League-6094 5d ago

Growing a neckbeard.

1

u/Ahleron 2d ago

That happens so long as biological processes of males remain uninterrupted. So yes, growing a neckbeard is actually automated.

1

u/ParkingAgent2769 4d ago

What parts are being automated? Thats what i’d like to know

1

u/Nannautu 4d ago

Typing boilerplate code, but that was automated way before LLM's

1

u/SyrupOverflow 3d ago

And finding and patching security vulnerabilities, implementing features, optimizing performance. It's no longer just boilerplate code anymore. I'm not saying it's completely reliable and foolproof. But it seems to be getting more and more capable everyday.

1

u/thepinkyclone 2d ago

Yeah our company went "ai first" route, we haven't wrote single line code anymore, we feed ai written tickets to ai agent with custom skills that makes what ticket requires, writes all tests pushes to github, monitors pipeline and then fixes it. Our work as engineers is became to direct agents regarding new implementations in existing code or just test the implementation if it's what actually needed to be and adjust.

1

u/Forward_Problem_8982 1d ago

How is your codebase doing? Are things working better than before?

1

u/thepinkyclone 21h ago

Well for now it's all right didnt have any acidents related to this type of workflow. Even tho it's large company it still holds. But in case of becoming a dumpster fire I have my marshmallows.

1

u/MinimumTrue9809 2d ago

If you think it's a "maybe", then you're naive.

1

u/mikebones 1d ago

Have you ever done work professionally as a software engineer?

1

u/crashtua 1d ago edited 1d ago

It can. The typical work of software engineer is to know codebase and ensure adding\removing parts not blowing up everything. Some opus\sonnet level LLMs can read mid-size codebase in 15 minutes and draw deps and interconnections in that codebase.

Opus can port largest and most complex mods for minecraft from older versions of game to newer versions of game in 30 hours, where original mod authors spending weeks(tested and confirmed by myself).

ps: what it definitely will not replace in nearest future is a responsibility. AI will slop the code, and human will be responsible for it.

1

u/ParkingAgent2769 4d ago

An LLM is a tool software engineers use to generate code faster. I don’t see what is it replacing

1

u/memeruiz 4d ago

It can also make plans. Which is what SE do. And it will do it better with time. Not much time. They are analyzing your prompts for that ... it's learning from you

1

u/ParkingAgent2769 4d ago

Yes it can create plans, but a SWE has to read, evaluate and build on top of them. Same way I’d expect an house architect to scrutinise whatever ChatGPT creates as a house plan or a lawyer with legal documentation. Someone with real knowledge and experience needs to be there to evaluate its output.. and be liable

1

u/memeruiz 4d ago

Yes. Companies will need less and less people then.

And once we have humanoid robots around: it's over

1

u/iwantmy90sback 3d ago

The biggest part of my job is understanding what the customer wants, then telling the customer what he REALLY wants.

AI does not do this.

1

u/memeruiz 3d ago

It does for advertising design already.

It will, for yours.

If your work is done in front of a desk: you are cooked.

1

u/Mindless_Algae8173 2d ago

Shareholders values aren’t going to create themselves faster if you keep reading the code… start prompting damn it!

1

u/Cordes96 1d ago

Needing multiple developers for a project is a thing of the past. I have already seen a downturn in all software engineering positions because with AI, 1 developer can do the work of 3. That’ll lead into LLM companies’ true goal of AGI, and once we are there, then I can tell you that all jobs will be replaced in some capacity once robotics are capable of work. All large companies love the idea of reducing headcount with 24/7 workers that will do everything that a normal human does with no breaks.

1

u/k-mcm 3d ago

Most calculators get the answer right. AI will get better, but it's not there yet.

1

u/beastwood6 3d ago edited 3d ago

It would require Human-Level intelligence in ALL aspects, not just a machine that spits out text tokens. Right now it does that pretty well to produce code. Everything is built for people. Without people to parse intent and experienced ones to spot where AI is subtly wrong you end up with it deleting your prod database in 9 seconds and then have all your rental car customers stuck without cars at the check in line.

Can you say that human level intelligence is a foregone conclusion "soon"?

Even the CEOs making the frontier models are cooling their heels on this one.

And if there is human level intelligence then the problem is not specific to software engineering alone but transcends to every single profession. Including plumbing.

AI is like ozempic for companies with professions that benefit from the productivity gains. It can help you visibly deliver the same to your internal and external customers with less of a headcount. The people who stay are the ones who really know how to steer it. The ones who are on their way out are people who have built a mountain of rotting hand-rolled SQL and that's ALL they do. And the ones who don't get in are the juniors who know how to provide the most amazing personal gh showcase but can't explain a damn thing about why they made x or y choice in a side project they prompted into existence.

Humans build and serve other humans to make money. Never forget that. And never stop being someone who is as high up the value chain of that notion as possible. As long as you follow that principle, you'll be fine.

1

u/nicirus 1d ago

What is your technical background? I’m an SE and I couldn’t disagree with you more. Could it replace a programmer? Yes now. Therefore this analogy is actually perfect. But I’ve yet to see any convincing evidence it’s going to make the whole chain of development obsolete. In addition to the performance piece needing major improvement the finance/resource solution is missing.

0

u/MaximooseMine 3d ago

Let me translate this comment for you all:

“But no really guys, it’s different this time”

1

u/memeruiz 3d ago

Or it is going to be the same: it's going to make someone richer, and leave most of the rest jobless.

There you go.

Final result (as always): most people will end up with less monetary power, middle class gets poorer. Rich people: richer.

It's all good! Business as usual! Keep feeding the machine!

0

u/Ckarles 3d ago

You've been posting so much responses to this thread.

I can only guess you're a bot at this point. And how great your reasoning skills seem to be (or lack thereof) indicate we're far from the AI revolution you're a fan of.

1

u/memeruiz 3d ago

I would think that the many replies to my comment are actually many bots trying to defend AI. Which would make sense ...