I have seen some posts that seem to imply that people's discomfort with code generated by AI is an matter of identity, that is, the threat that outsiders will be able to make code, and thus those in the know, the "elites" feel threatened. That the only way to move forward is to accept that coders need not be experts anymore, and that the role of the software developer will change.
But this is not how I view the practice of writing code at all. I want code to be more accessible and understandable by more people. My complaint with LLMs is that they are actually antithetical to this goal. Yes, someone who doesn't know how to code can now create an app that solves a problem stated in plain English, and it may work correctly most or all of the time. But that is not actually making code more accessible. Indeed, if everyone relies on LLMs to write software, nobody will know how the software works anymore!
As someone with over 10 years of experience coding, I know that reduced understanding of code always results in bad outcomes. There's bad performance, bad functionality, all sorts of things. People get apathetic and assume that the performance issues are inevitable. But computers are absurdly fast! Very few computations these days have any reason to take longer than an instant. The solution is knowing how to read code to find the problems! This can't be done reliably by a machine. I want more people to develop this skill, not fewer! LLMs just allow people to bypass any ability to identify issues. So my concern with them is that we will have more code to sift through, and less careful consideration at play.
This isn't about a threat to my identity, it's about a threat to the stability of all software, and the abilities of all software developers. This deskilling will only fossilize software and prevent us from developing something that is actually more democratizing.
Blort™ 🐀Ⓥ🥋☣️
in reply to Fedilab Apps • • •Personally I applaud any FOSS developer willing to ask for financial help to make their projects better. FOSS should be community development, not martyrdom.
It's not a lot, but I just set up an anonymous monthly payment through Liberapay to put my money where my mouth is.
Thank you for all your amazing work on Fedilab (which I use daily) and HoloSocial (which I hope to use soon). Thankyou too for having the courage to ask, so I remember to help how I've meant to for far too long. What I'm paying doesn't nearly cover the value you provide me, but hopefully this encourages others to chip in and help, too. ❤️
#FOSS #ValueForValue #Fedilab #HoloSocial
tness16
in reply to Fedilab Apps • • •