Avoid the AI Doomsday: Coding Is Still Beyond AI’s Reach

Why You Can Relax About AI: It Still Can’t Code

As the tech world buzzes with fears surrounding the capabilities of artificial intelligence, I would like to share a personal experience that might ease those worries: AI might be captivating, but its coding prowess is still far from impressive.

Recently, I found myself engaging with two AI platforms—ChatGPT and CLAUDE—on a quest to develop some graphics for my Substack newsletter. Initially, I planned to use PowerPoint, a tool I knew would take a few hours of my time. However, prompted by curiosity and the allure of innovation, I thought, “Why not give this AI coding thing a try?”

Well, what started as an exciting experiment quickly spiraled into a frustrating venture. Working with Claude, I aimed to create a stunning set of graphics effortlessly. I was thrilled at the prospect of saving time, believing that AI could streamline the process. Instead, what I encountered was a chaotic game of whack-a-mole: every time one issue was resolved, another set of problems emerged, often more complicated than the last. While I could elaborate on the specific challenges faced, let me just say, “CLUSTER***K” describes the experience quite well. After several days of navigating through a maze of setbacks, I ultimately turned back to PowerPoint and completed a polished presentation in just over three hours.

This experience reinforced my belief that AI, despite its growing capabilities, operates at the level of a novice coder stumbling through their first project. Sure, there’s potential for improvement through methods like Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) and RLHF-AI, where human experts will undoubtedly play crucial roles in enhancing AI systems. But for now, the existential dread about AI taking over coding jobs is largely misplaced.

Instead of fretting over hypothetical scenarios of an all-powerful AI, consider pouring yourself a glass of Scotch or indulging in something relaxing. Remember, in moments when technology seems overwhelming, sometimes it’s best to step back and tackle tasks with tried-and-true methods.

So, take a breath and enjoy the technology we have today while keeping a sense of humor about where we might still need a good old-fashioned human touch.