Exploring Google’s AI Model: A Civl Engineer’s Journey Into the World of Code

Over the past two weekends, I’ve embarked on an adventure that has left me both deeply impressed and slightly unsettled: experimenting with Google’s latest AI model.

To give you some context, my background is in civil engineering, specifically in design and project management, and I have no formal training in coding or computer science. Given this, I decided to sign up for a free student license of the new AI tool offered by Google to see if someone without a tech background could successfully utilize it.

My goal was straightforward: I wanted to create a simple application that could help me keep tabs on my small-scale projects. Nothing too elaborate—just a few charts for visualizing project finance and health. While there are existing software solutions for this purpose, my aim was to tailor the application to fit my specific needs.

I dedicated around eight hours over the last weekend to this endeavor. During this time, I interacted with the AI as if it were a team of programmers, guiding it through the process. To my astonishment, the model was able to generate the necessary code for me. It not only wrote the entire program but also recommended the software I should download and where to implement the code.

The most striking takeaway from this experience is the empowerment I’ve felt in creating a functional program without any prior coding knowledge. While the application isn’t perfect, it serves my purposes quite well, and that’s a significant achievement for someone like me, who started with no coding experience.

On the flip side, I can’t shake the feeling of unease. The capabilities of these AI models are advancing rapidly, and there’s a lingering concern about the implications of such technology. If this is the starting point, who knows how sophisticated these tools will become in the future?

As I look ahead, I’m eager to explore even more possibilities. Next week, I plan to develop additional small applications that align with my needs. Stay tuned for further updates on this unfolding journey into the realm of AI-driven coding.

Have you ventured into the world of AI tools as a beginner? I’d love to hear your experiences!