My Journey with Google’s AI: A Civil Engineer’s Exploration into Code

Recent weekends have transformed into a fascinating blend of awe and apprehension as I immersed myself in Google’s latest AI model. As a civil engineer specializing in design and management, I entered this realm with no coding or computer science background, seeking to challenge the boundaries of what I could achieve without traditional programming expertise.

To get started, I took advantage of a free student license for the new AI tool offered by Google. My goal was straightforward: to determine whether someone like me, with no technical know-how, could successfully utilize this technology to develop a simple application for tracking my small-scale projects.

I envisioned a straightforward platform that could provide essential functionalities, such as finance tracking and project health assessments. Although we have existing software for these tasks, I wanted to create something that tailored to my specific needs and preferences.

Over the course of nearly eight hours last weekend, I engaged with the AI model like a seasoned developer conversing with a team of programmers. To my amazement, the AI generated entire code snippets for me, guiding me through the necessary software installations and instructing me on where to place the code.

The outcome? I successfully created a small-scale program that, although not flawless, serves its intended purpose remarkably well. The process was exhilarating and empowering, proving to me that it is indeed possible to build a functioning application without any prior coding knowledge.

However, my excitement is tempered by a twinge of fear regarding the capabilities of such advanced AI models. The implications of these technologies continuing to evolve are both thrilling and unsettling; they are poised to only improve, ushering in an era where even greater innovations are within reach.

As I look ahead, my intention for the upcoming week is to dive deeper into the world of AI and create additional small-scale applications. This exploration promises to be an enriching journey, and I am eager to see what other projects I can bring to life with the help of this groundbreaking technology.

Stay tuned for future updates as I continue to navigate the intersection of engineering and artificial intelligence!