Ask HN: Assume AI replaces programmers in 5 years. What is your backup career?
16 comments
A very high-priced consultant hired to clean up the mess made by managers who asked AI to build an enterprise system but didn't think it through or specify it correctly.
I've asked myself a similar question in the form of "if I was born 100+ years ago, what would I do instead?" I feel like I would get into carpentry more. Though I have really been enjoying pottery lately, so maybe I would do both and see what works out.
That'd mean the military also switched to AI to write software. I'd become a doomsayer and prepper. I'd mean sell ebooks and online courses on prepping of course.
I like the idea of humans still being the keepers of knowledge forbidden to be disclosed by AIs
My hope is that I would still be valuable from a UX and high level architectural point of view: knowing what to ask the AI to write and connect together to create the application. Suddenly my writing the spec for the software that the AI will write becomes my job, and maybe I can then produce a lot of softwares whereas pre-AI I’d only be able to work on one at a time, since I have to also write the actual software.
If that would actually happen (not change our jobs but replace all developers) I think a lot of other jobs would also be replaced. So don't see a point in trying to plan for that very unpredictable future. Better to pivot at that point instead to what seems to be the best option at that time.
While it wasn't called AI 22 years ago I've been hearing my whole career that some new tech would make programmers obsolete. As far as I can tell we're still 25 years away from being 25 years away.
I wasn’t trying to argue the truth of any of the recent timeline claims regarding AI. The question could be taken as any disruption that removes the viability of your career in a short period of time. What’s your backup in that case?
I'd consider becoming a Walmart greeter, but there is no Walmart near me.
So I guess I may have to start selling drugs or robbing banks.
So I guess I may have to start selling drugs or robbing banks.
My plan is to wait until AI can just tell me it wants me to do for it. be it technical or back rubs. :D
We use Copilot (chat) at work. IMO we are nowhere near the point of being concerned about this.
I personally don’t believe it, but as the title says: what if? I realized yesterday I’m not sure I truly have a viable plan whether it happens in 5, 10, or even more years.
I will become a product manager and hire AIs to build the apps I want to build.
I will become a flying-pig rancher.
Retirement?
QA tester