OpenAI’s ChatGPT poses risks to the field of Software Development. The chatbot interprets instruction and produces custom functional code. Previously software developers searched on google for their problems. The result was usually links to blogs with some sample code that could be repurposed but rarely the actual solution needed. ChatGPT produces the code that one needs – it does not just point you to resources that allows you to write your own code.
The risks posed by the AI tool are in the form of both opportunities and threats. Software developers have the opportunity to generate quality code quickly. The main requirement is mastering description of solutions and AI prompts. This code may not be 100% production ready and require some finishing touches. But it will greatly reduce the amount of code written by human beings.
The major threat is that there is likely to be a significant need for code writers. Software developers whose primary job was writing code from specifications are very likely to be disrupted by this technology. OpenAI’s tool is another blow to an industry already facing difficulties with the big firms cutting headcounts.
The software development industry won’t be completely made redundant, it is just highly likely it will shrink. There will still be a lot of domain expertise needed in the various fields. It is this knowledge that is going to continue being valuable. Software developers normally fall under the category of knowledge workers. But not all software developers are knowledge workers. Some are software builders, working of requirements and specifications. OpenAI’s ChatGPT poses risks to this function primarily.
It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out. AI has been a technological fantasy for a while but these new tools are signs it is now to be a significant part of our world.