With AI, Anyone Can Be a Coder Now | Thomas Dohmke | TED

TED
24 May 202414:30

TLDRThomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, discusses the transformative impact of AI on software development, making coding accessible to everyone. He highlights GitHub Copilot, an AI-powered tool that simplifies coding by predicting and completing code in natural language, thus lowering barriers to entry. Dohmke envisions a future where software development is as intuitive as playing with LEGO, potentially doubling the number of developers on GitHub to over a billion by 2030.

Takeaways

  • 😀 LEGO is a creative system with almost no barrier to entry, similar to how coding could become with AI.
  • 👨‍💻 Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, envisions a future where AI makes coding accessible to everyone.
  • 🌐 The advent of ChatGPT in late 2022 marked a shift towards machines understanding human language, simplifying software creation.
  • 🔄 Historically, coding has been complex and unintuitive, with early programming languages appearing hieroglyphic.
  • 🐍 Python, born in 1991, was a step towards more human-like coding but still fell short of natural language intuitiveness.
  • 🤖 GitHub Copilot, an AI assistant, predicts and completes code, making programming more accessible.
  • 🌟 The large language models behind ChatGPT and Copilot understand and interpret nearly every major human language.
  • 🌐 With tools like Copilot, anyone can build software in any human language, reducing the need for traditional coding knowledge.
  • 📈 The number of developers on GitHub is expected to increase dramatically due to the降低了门槛 of coding with AI.
  • 🏡 Copilot Workspace allows users to build software by describing tasks in natural language, further abstracting away the complexities of coding.
  • 🌟 AI in coding doesn't replace the need for human creativity and system thinking but enhances it by automating routine coding tasks.

Q & A

  • What is Thomas Dohmke's personal connection to LEGO?

    -Thomas Dohmke loved playing with LEGO since the '80s in Berlin and continues to enjoy building LEGO with his kids on Saturday afternoons.

  • What is Thomas Dohmke's professional role?

    -Thomas Dohmke is the CEO of GitHub, which is considered the home of coding where software developers collaborate.

  • Why does Thomas Dohmke compare the process of building software to playing with LEGO?

    -He compares it because LEGO is a system for realizing creativity with almost no barrier to entry, similar to how he wants coding to be accessible.

  • What significant change occurred in late 2022 that impacted software development?

    -The advent of ChatGPT in late 2022 introduced a world where intelligent machines could understand humans as much as humans understand them.

  • What is GitHub Copilot and how does it assist developers?

    -GitHub Copilot is an AI assistant that predicts and completes code for software developers, making it easier for them to build software.

  • How does the introduction of large language models like GPT-3 change the landscape of programming?

    -Large language models have enabled the creation of tools like GitHub Copilot, which allows developers to write code using natural language prompts, making programming more accessible.

  • What is the significance of the transition from Plankalkül to COBOL to Python in programming language evolution?

    -The transition shows the evolution from complex, non-intuitive languages to more human-like languages, making coding more understandable and accessible.

  • How does Copilot Workspace differ from the original Copilot?

    -Copilot Workspace allows users to interact with the AI more directly, describing tasks in natural language, and the AI generates the necessary code and even plans for completing those tasks.

  • What is the potential impact of AI tools like GitHub Copilot on the number of software developers worldwide?

    -The potential impact is significant, with predictions that the number of software developers could increase dramatically, possibly reaching over one billion by 2030.

  • What is the role of human developers in the future with the rise of AI in software development?

    -Human developers will still be necessary as pilots, providing creative direction and making decisions at a higher level of abstraction, while AI tools handle the implementation.

  • How does Thomas Dohmke envision the future of software development with the fusion of human language and machine language?

    -He envisions a future where building software is as simple and joyful as stacking LEGO, with human language being the primary skill needed to create software.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 The LEGO of Coding: GitHub Copilot

The speaker begins by sharing his enduring love for LEGO, a toy that fostered his creativity from childhood in Berlin to the present. He draws a parallel between LEGO's creative system and his role as CEO of GitHub, a platform where developers collaborate and create software. He contrasts the complexity of coding, which is often intimidating, with the simplicity of LEGO. The advent of ChatGPT in 2022 marked a significant shift, enabling machines to understand human language, thus revolutionizing software creation. Historically, coding required professional expertise, but with GitHub Copilot, an AI assistant that predicts and completes code, the barrier to entry has been significantly lowered. This tool, now the most adopted AI developer tool globally, allows anyone to write software in any human language with a simple prompt, making coding more accessible and intuitive.

05:01

🔧 Enhancing Developer Experience with GitHub Copilot Chat

The speaker demonstrates the evolution of GitHub Copilot, starting with its original function to predict and complete code within a development editor. He uses the analogy of building a 3D LEGO brick on a web page to illustrate how developers can now interact with Copilot through a chat feature, allowing them to request entire web pages or functionalities. Copilot responds with code and explanations, using open-source libraries like Three.js. This feature not only assists developers but also empowers those learning to code. The speaker also showcases the voice command feature of Copilot, which can explain code in different languages, making coding more inclusive. He concludes by emphasizing how these tools make the process of coding more straightforward and enjoyable, akin to playing with LEGO bricks.

10:03

🌐 Democratizing Coding with Copilot Workspace

The speaker introduces Copilot Workspace, a new product that further simplifies the coding process. Instead of writing code, users can input tasks in natural language, and Copilot Workspace generates a plan and writes the necessary code. This tool eliminates the need for users to understand code syntax, making software development as simple as stacking LEGO bricks. The speaker envisions a future where the number of developers on GitHub will significantly increase, leading to a more diverse and creative software development landscape. He emphasizes that while AI assists in the coding process, the role of the human developer remains crucial for overseeing and orchestrating complex systems. The talk concludes with a Q&A session where the speaker discusses the future of AI in software development and the enduring need for human creativity and oversight.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡LEGO

LEGO is a popular line of construction toys that consist of interlocking plastic bricks. In the context of the video, LEGO represents a creative system that has a low barrier to entry, allowing both children and adults to build complex structures with ease. The speaker uses LEGO as an analogy to explain how coding should be more accessible and intuitive, much like playing with LEGO bricks.

💡GitHub

GitHub is a web-based platform that provides version control and collaboration features for software development projects. It is often referred to as 'the home of coding' and is where developers collaborate on coding projects. The speaker, being the CEO of GitHub, emphasizes the platform's mission to make coding more accessible.

💡ChatGPT

ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot developed by OpenAI that can understand and generate human-like text based on user prompts. In the video, ChatGPT symbolizes a breakthrough in AI that allows machines to understand human language, which is a significant step towards making coding more accessible.

💡Code

Code, in the context of the video, refers to the written instructions used to program computers and software. The speaker discusses how code has traditionally been a complex and daunting language for non-developers, but AI advancements are changing that by making coding more intuitive.

💡Plankalkül

Plankalkül is recognized as the world's first computer programming language, developed in the early 1940s. The speaker uses Plankalkül to illustrate the evolution of programming languages, pointing out that despite its foundational role, it remains largely incomprehensible to the average person.

💡COBOL

COBOL, an acronym for Common Business-Oriented Language, is a programming language that was invented in the late 1950s and is still in use today, particularly in financial institutions. The speaker mentions COBOL to highlight how programming languages have evolved to become more readable but are still not as intuitive as natural human languages.

💡Python

Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language known for its readability and简洁性. In the video, Python is mentioned as one of the most popular programming languages in the era of AI, indicating a move towards languages that are closer to human language.

💡GPT-3

GPT-3, short for Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3, is a large language model developed by OpenAI. The speaker discusses GPT-3 as a pivotal moment in AI, as it was capable of solving a significant percentage of programming exercises when fed into it, leading to the creation of GitHub Copilot.

💡GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding assistant that predicts and completes code for developers. The speaker introduces Copilot as a tool that revolutionizes software development by allowing developers to write code more efficiently and intuitively.

💡Human Language

Human language in the video refers to natural languages spoken by people worldwide. The speaker emphasizes the importance of human language in the context of AI and coding, stating that AI advancements now allow developers to write software using everyday language, making coding more inclusive.

💡LEGO House

In the video, the speaker uses the metaphor of building a 'LEGO house' to demonstrate how developers can now use natural language prompts to instruct AI tools like GitHub Copilot to generate complex code structures, just as one would stack LEGO bricks to build a house.

Highlights

LEGO is a system for realizing creativity with almost no barrier to entry.

GitHub aims to make it easy for developers to build ideas with code.

ChatGPT in 2022 revolutionized how we interact with machines through language.

Traditional software development is complex and intimidating for most people.

Plankalkül from the 1940s set the foundation for modern programming languages.

COBOL, invented in the 1950s, remains crucial for financial institutions.

Python, born in 1991, is one of the most popular programming languages in the AI era.

GPT-3 in June 2020 marked a significant leap in AI's ability to understand and generate code.

GitHub Copilot is an AI assistant that predicts and completes code for developers.

Copilot is now the most adopted AI developer tool globally.

Large language models like ChatGPT and Copilot understand nearly every major human language.

With Copilot, anyone can build software in any human language with a single written prompt.

GitHub now has over 100 million developers, which is about to increase dramatically.

Copilot can predict and complete code in real-time as developers type.

Copilot Chat allows developers to interact with the AI through natural language.

Copilot can understand and respond in multiple languages, including German.

Copilot Workspace allows developers to build software by describing tasks in natural language.

By 2030, there could be over one billion software developers on GitHub.

The profession of a professional software developer will still be necessary despite AI advancements.

AI systems like Copilot will help reduce the complexity of software development.

Building software will become as simple and joyful as stacking LEGO bricks.

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