Will AI eliminate the need for coders?
Coding will not be eliminated; it will be transformed.
“AI machines can only work on goals we set for them”
The Human Edge, Greg Orne
I was recently asked if AI would take away coding jobs. The quick answer would be the standard, “New technology ends jobs but creates new jobs.” That’s the most straightforward answer and may be mostly true. Some of the worry is that even though technology creates new jobs, it distinguishes more jobs than it creates.
Jobs vary vastly. While technology has eliminated the television repair industry, the computer coding industry stands resilient. Its complexity and unmatched contribution to our overall communications infrastructure ensure that human coding will persist, regardless of AI’s advancements.
Computer coding is dynamic and an important skill that supports all major industries. Rather than being replaced by AI, coding will transform and expand to create new opportunities for jobs and careers. For instance, AI will create roles for data scientists, AI trainers, and ethical consultants. Humans will manage the complex systems that are in the service of AI.
Historically, this has not been a new problem for civilization. There have been countless times in the past when society faced a dynamic shift in the face of job elimination due to advancing technology. During the Industrial Revolution, the invention of the power loom threatened to end the jobs of weavers who performed the task manually. However, the need to manage and repair those machines had grown, and production increased, creating enough jobs to offset the loss of many manual labor jobs.
ATMs did not kill bank teller jobs, but they did give them the opportunity to pick up new skills such as loans and customer service. In the 15th century, the printing press undoubtedly put a lot of scribes out of business, but it also created many more jobs such, as, such as readers, editors, writers, publishers, and authors. It also helped kickstart the new glass lens industry, as the new influx books in the world spotlighted the need for eyeglasses to read those books.
Part of my answer to coding disappearing can be seen in some of the technology interruptions found by looking at the past. The nature of coding will change, but human coders will adapt. Imagine AI systems taking on more repetitive tasks like routine coding tasks, and human coders will confidently focus on higher-level problem-solving, creativity, and decision-making. Coders can design systems by creating algorithms to instruct AI models instead of being slowed by the minute details of coding. This adaptability should instill confidence in the future of human coders.
Systems will need trainers and supervisors. Ethical consultants will be a growing field of work. Industries such as healthcare, finance, and law will need to help support the AI industry. Human coders will play a crucial role. Humans will be tasked with supervising these AI systems, ensuring they operate ethically and effectively. According to Greg Orme, in his book, “The Human Edge”, humans should focus on the things that AI cannot do well: creativity, curiosity, consciousness, and colaboration. Creativity will flourish, as will the need for artists. AI will become a new tool for the creative set. Building algorithms will be considered an art skill instead of a technical skill. Human ingenuity mixed with machine learning will change art and redefine what we think art is. Unlike AI, humans do not struggle with tasks that require intuition. Humans still will hold a role that requires human understanding, emotions, and storytelling.
There is always a place for us humans. In the book, “The Beginning of Infinity”, David Deutsch explains that human progress depends on knowledge creation. We not only gain knowledge through our senses, but as humans, we naturally seek knowledge driven by our curiosity. AI can create the knowledge that will feed our curiosity. However, unlike AI, humans possess unique qualities such as intuition, understanding, emotions, and storytelling. These are the qualities that will ensure our continued relevance in the future.
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