Fear Not the AI Doomsday: Coding Skills Are Safe from Artificial Intelligence

Title: Why We Shouldn’t Fear the AI Coding Revolution — Yet

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, discussions about artificial intelligence often invoke a mix of awe and apprehension. Some may fear an impending AI apocalypse, but based on my recent experience, I believe our worries about AI capabilities, particularly in coding, are somewhat exaggerated.

Recently, I embarked on an experiment with two AI platforms: ChatGPT and CLAUDE. My goal? To create a set of graphics for my Substack publication. Originally, I intended to use PowerPoint, a straightforward task I estimated would take a few hours. However, in the spirit of innovation (or perhaps misguided enthusiasm), I decided to see how these AI tools could assist me in this project.

What ensued was a rather chaotic journey filled with unexpected challenges. Each time we made progress on one aspect of the project, a cascade of new issues would emerge, turning what should have been a manageable task into a frustrating ordeal. I won’t delve into the technical details, but let’s just say that the experience can best be summarized by a term I reluctantly coined: “CLUSTER***K.” After several days of trying to wrangle the AIs into producing satisfactory output, I ultimately returned to PowerPoint, managing to complete the task efficiently in just over three hours.

This experience led me to a sobering conclusion: while AI has made strides, its coding abilities resemble those of a novice programmer on their first assignment. While there is potential for improvement through methods like Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) and AI-generated feedback, we are not at a stage where AI can reliably code complex projects without human intervention.

The narrative around AI-induced existential dread may often stem from misinformation or the antics of those looking to profit from this anxiety. Instead of succumbing to fear, perhaps it’s time to embrace a more balanced view of AI technology. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite drink, take a moment to relax, and remember that we’re still in a phase where human expertise remains crucial.

So, rather than worrying about a future overrun by AI, let’s appreciate the technology we have today while acknowledging its current limitations. After all, we’re still very much in control of our creative and coding destinies.