Eh, Singapore, you hear the buzz? AI’s coming for our jobs, they say. But is that really the full story? Or is it all just a bit of kaypoh (nosy) talk? Let’s jio (invite) you to dive into this with me.
AI’s New Playground
So, what’s really happening with AI in the tech world right now? Here’s the lowdown:
- AI is getting better at small coding tasks, like completing code snippets or explaining code.
“Now completing small chunks of mundane code, explaining code, doing very small mundane changes. Very good at.”
- Companies are not replacing programmers en masse with AI, but they are slowing down hiring.
“Intelligent companies will not layoff en masse to use AI only, they will most likely slow hiring devs because their existing enhanced devs using AI will suffice enough to their coding related needs.”
- Tech debt is a serious problem, and AI could make it worse.
“The tech debt situation is going to become so, so much worse. My guess is there will be a whole lot of “dead by year five” companies built on AI.”
- In Singapore, there’s a push for AI adoption in various sectors, from finance to healthcare.
The Implementation Hurdles
Not everything’s shiok (delicious) in the AI world. There are some big challenges we need to address:
- AI code quality can still be inconsistent, and requires skilled developers to check and fix.
“The AI is hard to work with, it expects specific wording in order to program our code as expected.”
- Companies are valuing quantity over quality, which can lead to problems.
“We (as a society) started to value quantity over quality some time ago…”
- Tech debt is a huge issue, and AI can make it worse.
“Tech debt paralyzes companies all the time…”
AI’s New Future
So, how do we make sure Singapore stays ahead of the game? Here are some solutions:
- Focus on building skills in areas where AI isn’t strong, like complex design and fixing difficult bugs.
“For each programmer who actually spends their time on complex design work or fixing difficult bugs, there are many more doing what amounts to clerical work.”
- Invest in good architecture to avoid tech debt.
“…bad architecture decisions.”
- Embrace AI as a tool, not a replacement. Use it to enhance productivity.
- Don’t be afraid to learn new AI tools, like GitHub Copilot or Amazon CodeWhisperer.
AI’s here to stay, but it’s not going to wipe out all our jobs. By focusing on our strengths, staying adaptable, and embracing AI strategically, Singapore’s tech scene can thrive, and we can all keep our kakis (friends) employed. So, ganbatte (do your best), and let’s keep coding!
