Overcoming My 'AI Anxiety'

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the author's experience with "AI anxiety" - the fear that AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Github Copilot could potentially replace software engineers. The author shares their journey of overcoming this anxiety and coming to the realization that the true value of software developers lies in their problem-solving skills, which AI tools can augment rather than replace.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Overcoming My 'AI Anxiety'

1. What was the author's initial reaction to the threat of AI replacing software engineers?

• The author felt anxious and worried that their role as a software engineer could become obsolete due to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Github Copilot.
• The author experienced this anxiety "on-and-off" over the last two years, though it did not completely paralyze them.

2. How did the author's perspective change over time?

• The author came to understand that the true value of software developers lies in their problem-solving skills, which AI tools can augment rather than replace.
• The author realized that economically-valuable software development is not an isolated, bounded endeavor, and that general problem-solving skills are needed to interact with the actual domain's problems and stakeholders.
• The author concluded that until we achieve Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), AI-based software engineering tools will augment and upgrade a developer's abilities to solve problems, allowing them to create superior solutions and tackle grander problems.

3. How did the author's reaction differ when a new AI agent claimed to replace all software engineering work?

• This time, the author's anxiety did not spike, as they had already come to a better understanding of the issue and made peace with the potential impact of AI on their profession.

[02] The Value of Software Developers

1. What is the author's view on the true value of software developers?

• The author believes that the true value and skill of software developers is in their problem-solving abilities, not just in code generation.
• The author argues that until we achieve AGI, AI-based tools will augment and upgrade a developer's problem-solving skills, allowing them to create better solutions and tackle larger problems.

2. How does the author address the potential scenario of achieving AGI?

• The author acknowledges that if we do achieve AGI, it will be a "whole new world" and not just software engineers, but almost everyone, regardless of profession, will have to "figure things out."
• The author finds this scenario slightly unsettling but believes it is impossible to plan for the "end of the world," and it is easier to accept the uncertainty.