It’s not gone, but it’s on the way out. Brain coding is now: modeling, system design, collaboration, and problem solving. And increasingly: context switching, mentoring and coaching, delegation, execution, continuous learning.

Spicy but, with some reservations, I agree:

I believe the next year will show that the role of the traditional software engineer is dead. If you got into this career because you love writing lines of code, I have some bad news for you: it’s over. The machines will be writing most of the code from here on out. Although there is some artisanal stuff that will remain in the realm of hand written code, it will be deeply in the minority of what gets produced.

– Paul Dix

If you ever had “artisan” or “craftsperson” near “code” in your identity, then buckle up. You may find the next years challenging and un-fun. (I had “Expert Typist” for quite some time in mine. Ouch.)

…virtuosity can only be achieved when the audience can perceive the risks being taken by the performer.

A DJ that walks on stage and hits play is not likely to be perceived as a virtuoso. While a pianist who is able to place their fingers perfectly among a minefield of clearly visible wrong keys is without question a virtuoso. I think this idea carries over to sports as well and can partially explain the decline of many previously popular sports and the rise of video game streaming. We watch the things that we have personally experienced as being difficult. That is essential context to appreciate a performance.

– Drew Breunig, A Comedy Writer on How AI Changes Her Field

There is a certain virtuosity in someone who can put a lot of code out there quickly. But, only in the sense that they can “avoid all the wrong keys”, taking the most direct path to solving the problem or learning more about the domain. Navigating false paths, writing the right code for the moment, no more or less than neeeded, is the thing. Whether it’s an agent or a human, pumping out tons of code that requires thorough review for style and purpose is no longer the game.

I suspect this means that writing, film-making, and music are unlikely to fall victim to generative AI. At least, in the scenarios where art is the draw. Ambient music of all kinds, for airports or beer commercials or in-group signaling (looking at you, save a horse/ride a cowboy) are all probably going drastically change due to generative AI. The same for writing that isn’t trying to say something and moving images that exist only to fill in the time.

Perhaps, more than ever, data is the asset. We could delete a lot of the code as long as the data remains accessible and operations continue. 🤔