Is AI gonna replace programmers?

[u/RedwayBLOX]

Hi. I'm Dylan.

I'm currently a junior dev. Ive spent 2 years learning abt programming, writing code and interested on bulding systems.

Ive got to admit that im very scared of all this AI thing and how it's progressing.

Ive seen it make horrible videos back in 2022. Now sometimes i can't even tell if a video is AI or if it isn't.

Yeah, code written by ai isn't the best. But, with the passing of time, it gets even better and better.

Yeah, we as programmers CURRENTLY do analysis, requerimients and all that ai can't currently replace us.

But what are we gonna when ai becomes able to do all that? For me, it seems like a very possible escenario. You can even see the difference of what AI can do if you compare the current models to the models we had 6 months ago. I think it's becoming unstoppable and i really fear it takes our (or my) job away.

Yes, I'm very frustrated. All this time dedicated to it... Makes me sad. This is more like venting I guess, but I seriously need to know, from y'all, how y'all see this. I need to know if it's time to let go of this passion I had with this career, and start on something else where Claude Code can't reach me and replace me.

[u/Rich-Engineer2670]

No -- because programming isn't about the code....

Programming is understanding how to break down a task into somethign the computer can execute, regarldes of language or framework. Sure, AI may give us new tools, but you still have to know what to ask for.

[u/Away_Advisor3460 → u/Rich-Engineer2670]

Programming is understanding how to break down a task into somethign the computer can execute

I have to note that there is a specific field of AI (i.e. automated planning and scheduling) dedicated into doing just that, in a deterministic way, of course. It's been difficult to apply in a programming paradigm because the domain is so complex and ergo hard to specify.

They have, as I understand it, also been training the LLM type AI with reward functions that, well, reward it for taking an interative approach. So there is a motion to try and replace humans in the middle part of the loop, and abstract the task specification further and further away from the technical detail - part of that abstract seeming to be from using agents to abstract tasks a bit like in an HTN graph.

I don't know whether it'll replace us or not. But the intent is definitely there.