The hottest programming language is English
TL;DR#
The main consideration is how to deal with the emergence of this singularity in the coming years.
- Learn English
- Embrace technology instead of avoiding it, as there is no silver bullet in this world
- Demand will skyrocket, so focus on product-oriented exploration of problem domains
- Shift from being an executor ["screw"] to a creator and decision-maker
- Expand knowledge horizontally, as the boundaries of AI tools are determined by their users
Phenomenon & Experience#
As ChatGPT is being used in various ways, I occasionally feel anxious. The reason is not that I'm afraid of being replaced by AI as a "slave," but rather seeing more and more people using these new tools to create things outside of their expertise. My exploration of ChatGPT has only been limited to language models. At first, I was very excited because it solved many headaches for me, including but not limited to weekly reports, presentations, reports, documents, and dragging... Since December last year, I have relied on ChatGPT to complete almost all tasks related to text. However, it is limited to language-related aspects. It has already helped me a lot, especially since dragging and battling have been taking up more and more of my work time. Since high school, I haven't written Chinese homework or received professional writing training. My speech is direct and lacks finesse.
But recently, I have seen many people with zero coding experience using GPT-like tools to develop running programs, such as Chrome extensions, Tradingview scripts, and even this week's $ARB airdrop. Some people (excluding scientists) used ChatGPT to generate a contract or script to complete batch claims. I have also tried to use ChatGPT to generate a DEX, but it either gave me serious nonsense or asked me to comply with the law, gradually eroding my patience and interest. But now it seems that I didn't use the context and prompt well enough.
Crypto Revolution Failure? Rise of AI?#
In the past few years, both of these technologies have been hot topics in the tech industry. The emergence of ChatGPT has ignited the enthusiasm of traditional VCs.
At the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, concepts such as Web3 and the Metaverse entered the public's view. Basically, anyone who surfs the internet knows about buying land in the metaverse. However, this year, the only notable events were Terra Luna and the negative incidents involving FTX. There has been little progress in issues such as stablecoin endorsements, Dex traffic, and public chain TPS. Smart money may have already exited in search of AI opportunities, or it may be lurking in small-cap crypto projects. From the perspective of practical implementation and the actions of national teams, it seems that the meme sentiment of AI has completely overshadowed the crypto industry. In mainland China, the cleaning lady may not know what a stablecoin is, but she definitely knows about ChatGPT, even if she hasn't used it, she probably knows what it is.
GPT has also sparked the creative enthusiasm of independent developers, whether it's creating shell software to profit from information asymmetry or using GPT to reduce costs and increase efficiency, or even generating new ideas. All of these have motivated developers to start coding again.
I don't think crypto will fail. The difficulty lies in pushing development forward, which often disrupts certain interests, such as the power to mint coins. I hope that crypto and AI can develop together in a mutually beneficial way.
Will I become unemployed? What should I do?#
Not for now. From the perspective of Tinyfool, the essence of an engineer is not about using a specific style to solve problems, but about solving problems. The key question is: What problem do I need to solve? Instead of focusing on the method to solve it.
I have to say that when I first heard this, I was very shocked. I immediately thought of "small and beautiful," an IM software that occupies the first place in my phone's storage. There are always experts who say that Tencent is product-oriented rather than technology-oriented, which leads to a hierarchy of disdain. Teacher Hao woke me up. No matter how good the technology is, without demand, there are no users, and the product becomes purely self-indulgent. The emergence of computers was to solve problems that were previously costly or even unimaginable to solve. If the person making the demand can solve the problem themselves, then there is no need for software engineers. This trend is now apparent from the perspective of programming languages:
Machine language -> Assembly language -> High-level language -> NLP (Natural Language Programming)
The problem domain and mindset are becoming increasingly similar to human society. People (class), individuals (instance)... It doesn't mean that our world looks virtual from a certain perspective of computers, but rather, when we create computers, we bring along the human way of thinking, making it closer to reality.
If natural language programming matures to the point where people in the problem domain can solve their own needs, most engineers may become engineers who don't directly solve problems. They may become engineers who recommend prompts or directly enter the problem domain to explore needs. After all, technological progress can lead to an explosion of demand.
So, in a situation where the rules of the game are about to change, what should I do? Currently, the only thing I can think of is to continue exploring the limits of GPT-like tools, use tools to assist my work, and expand my boundaries. I will try to create something from 0 to 1 and take the Full Stack route.
Opportunities & Challenges#
Ordinary people may no longer have the opportunity to train models, and some big companies may not have the opportunity either. OpenAI may represent AI in the future. When will AI as a service emerge? When will AI integrate with brain-computer interfaces?
Chaos is the ladder to rise. How lucky young children are to live in an era close to the singularity. -- guoyu
But can UTC+8 and +86 catch up with these?
References#
- Seizing the Opportunity Given by ChatGPT - MoneyXYZ
- The Coming AI Era of ChatGPT and How It Will Change Us - Tinyfool's Nonsense