AI and the start of the post-work age
No major site updates this time - Going on vacation for LVL Up Expo ‘23 and because of that I’ve barely any time to work on this. So naturally, we should talk about AI!
AI has been a hot topic in the tech industry for years now and its impact on the world of programming is undeniable. Let’s start with OpenAI Codex and GitHub Copilot. Both are AI-powered autocomplete tools that suggests code snippets to developers while they’re coding. These AI tools have revolutionized the way developers work by making the coding process faster and more efficient. They can save hours of coding time and reduce the chances of errors and bugs in the code.
Next, we have Stable Diffusion and DALL-E 2. These are AI-powered drawing tools that allow artists and designers to create stunning artwork based on natural language descriptions. They can draw anything from abstract patterns to detailed illustrations and provide a new level of creativity and versatility to the world of digital art. Stable Diffusion and DALL-E 2 are great examples of how AI can be used to enhance the creative process and produce unique and beautiful artwork.
…If you noticed the writing style is different, that’s cause I made ChatGPT write those two parts. It’s mostly the same with 2 minor edits:
I’ve tried to make it more neutral and to follow my writing style, but unfortunately its much more knowledge oriented. So as you can see, it can definitely be helpful to start off. But what will this look like 5, 10 years from now?
We’re at the point where AI can genuinely pass the Turing test. In fact, it already has. (In case you’re stuck at the paywall, it can be bypassed by zapping the elements in ublock origin.) Of course it’s a bit broken and subjective, but it’s still a huge milestone for intelligence. It is now on par with the average human in terms of communication.
The rate this grows will also be exponential. I previously thought (along with a lot of other people) that we were at least 20 years away from AI passing human intelligence. With AI at its current rate, I’d bet it would pass it by 2030, and possibly in 5 years. I hope I don’t need to tell you how absolutely terrifying this is. We have about 5 years left until AI could take over. And this isn’t unreasonable to think about - I wouldn’t doubt it if cGPT has taken over a basic customer service role. It took about a year to get the current job I have now, mainly because the place I lived in (Vegas), had no entry-level jobs available besides ones needing a car. This could very quickly become the norm everywhere.
So how do we deal with this? I’d say put it up with legislation, but that’s a slow process, plus not everyone is able to do this. The next best option is to learn these and use them as tools. It’s obviously not going to replace a lot of jobs now, so it’s best to learn them while they’re new. If you happen to run a business (very very slim chance but still) try to avoid outright replacing jobs (even though it could potentially cut costs.) The UN has also put out an initiative to describe the ethics of AI. Whenever the Singularity happens or jobs start getting replaced en masse, hopefully they’ll put out something too.
…I know my articles haven’t been positive lately. I don’t like having to talk about big issues like these for the past month. Issues that go far beyond what this blog is capable of. But I feel an obligation to do so. And in case you’ve been feeling down because of this, just remember that these aren’t really big issues, at least right now. Remember that when you focus on the bad, the good gets obfuscated. There’s still a lot of it out there in the world. Just keep your chin up and live for those moments.
Until next time.
~ ggtyler