538

I found this thought funny. A few years ago everyone was all learn to code so you don't lose your job! Now there wont be any programming jobs in 10 years. But we will need a lot of manual labor still.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

LLMs can’t code worth a shit yet. But techbros are determined to change that. The sad reality is that code is just a form of language, and LLMs are good at learning languages. They can’t code worth shit right now, but the progress likely will improve them.

We’ll still need experienced debuggers who can actually code. But in a decade, the broad strokes will likely be done by LLMs, which will vastly shrink the demand for experienced coders.

[-] Isoprenoid@programming.dev 33 points 4 days ago

The sad reality is that code is just a form of language, and LLMs are good at learning languages.

This is debatable. LLMs are prediction machines.

What use is prediction when you are trying to code something new?

[-] Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 4 days ago

The vast majority of coding isn't making something new, it's using existing patterns and tools and arranging them to fit a specific use case.

Llms may not be able to create a new framework or design pattern, but neither will most coders in there day to day.

[-] Isoprenoid@programming.dev 9 points 4 days ago

The vast majority of coding isn’t making something new, it’s using existing patterns and tools and arranging them to fit a specific use case.

I would argue that arranging something to fit a specific use case is making something new.

Ask any designer how difficult it is to get a spec sheet from a client and meet their expectations. We're expecting LLMs to suddenly solve this problem.

Llms may not be able to create a new framework or design pattern

Until they can do this, there is little threat to designers. There will be less grunt work, of course.

[-] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 5 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Tbh this whole thing made me realize what we really need is a modular automated code bank. There's so much duplication of effort it's honestly absurd.

Right we've got this scattershot network of libraries but no one's really been up to the task of taking the next logical steps.

[-] towerful@programming.dev 6 points 4 days ago

Open source, libraries, frameworks and language development is how this is tackled.

Making software is implementing business logic. It's the specific nature of whatever problem you are solving which means you can't use some existing off-the-shelf product.

There are dozens (if not hundreds) of no-code/low-code app builders out there. Things like n8n or ndoe-red.
They get very difficult to maintain at scale.

[-] Yermaw@lemm.ee 6 points 4 days ago

Right now they are. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Compared to just 20 years ago we're living in the future. You may not have noticed the progress because you'd expect the future to includes hoverboards.

[-] pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 21 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Right now they are. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

We do. Experienced programmers who have been promised we're about to be obsolete several times, now. For many of us, this isn't our first rodeo.

As an expert in computers, there's two things I can guarantee about the future of computers:

  1. Computers will just keep getting smarter.
  2. After decades of getting smarter, computers remain deeply stupid in ways that non-experts cannot imagine. However dumb you think your computer might be, I promise it's somehow significantly dumber than that.
[-] pixeltree 23 points 4 days ago

Lmfao the hardest part of building a product is understanding customer wants and needs. LLMs are incapable of understanding

[-] CtrlAltDefeat@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 days ago

You described project management

[-] pixeltree 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

No, it's the difference between software engineering and software development. If your project manager is handling that, your org is wack

If you're not understanding why the spec is the way it is, you're just creating job security for your replacement lol

[-] CtrlAltDefeat@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

As far as I'm concerned, my PM represents the customer(s). They spend time with customer feedback, the sales and executive teams to strategize with the company first. I ain't got time for all that bs.

If that's not how you work, it's probably just a smaller org where people have to wear more hats. Nothin' wrong with that.

[-] hibsen@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

I thought that was just the job we give people who are trying their best but can’t really anything.

[-] Saleh@feddit.org 3 points 4 days ago

Learning a language and forming and expressing complex thoughts in an efficient way are three different things.

Learning the syntax of a programming language doesn't make you a programmer.
Being able to solve complex problems with the programming language makes you a programmer.
Being able to solve complex problems with the programming language in an efficient way makes you a good programmer.

this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2025
538 points (100.0% liked)

Showerthoughts

35252 readers
343 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. No politics
    • If your topic is in a grey area, please phrase it to emphasize the fascinating aspects, not the dramatic aspects. You can do this by avoiding overly politicized terms such as "capitalism" and "communism". If you must make comparisons, you can say something is different without saying something is better/worse.
    • A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct and the TOS

If you made it this far, showerthoughts is accepting new mods. This community is generally tame so its not a lot of work, but having a few more mods would help reports get addressed a little sooner.

Whats it like to be a mod? Reports just show up as messages in your Lemmy inbox, and if a different mod has already addressed the report, the message goes away and you never worry about it.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS