In computer science, two primary professions stand out: system administrators and developers. System administrators are the unsung heroes who ensure the setup and smooth operation of computer systems. Developers, on the other hand, are the architects who design and build software applications.
In my early days in the IT business, I found myself in the world of system administration. Despite my technical proficiency, the idea of coding was completely alien to me – I couldn’t even craft a basic “Hello, World!” program. The gap between system administrators and developers appeared significant, with coding emerging as a distinct skill that separated IT professionals.
However, now with the power of AI, I’m ready to turn the tables! Thanks to AI-driven code generation tools, I can write code by simply knowing what I want to achieve! This revolutionary technology transforms my ideas into functional code, bridging the gap that once seemed overwhelming. Armed with AI, we can bring our tech visions to life by just using prompts!
Let’s walk through an example step by step:
Growing up glued to the screen 
, video games weren’t just a hobby – they were a way of life. Now, fueled by childhood memories of countless hours spent mastering arcade classics, I’m setting out to recreate the magic of breakout/arkanoid. With a little help from my AI sidekick, ChatGPT, I will try to bring this beloved retro game to life!
Step 1: Search for a screenshot of the Breakout Atari game on Google:
Step 2: Paste the screenshot to ChatGPT with a prompt like: Could you code this video game for a web browser?
After identifying the game just from its screenshot(!), ChatGPT proceeds to generate the code for a web-based version of the game:
This code creates a basic Breakout-style game. The ball bounces around the screen, breaking bricks when it hits them, and the player can move the paddle left and right using the arrow keys to prevent the ball from falling off the screen. When the ball hits a brick, the brick disappears.
Step 3: Run the code; here was my next prompt to ChatGPT: Could you execute the code you just created?
While it can’t (yet), it gave me instructions of what to do:
Step 4: Copy and paste the generated code to a cloud development environment, like CodeSandbox, to execute the program:
Step 5: Paste the URL generated by CodeSandbox into a browser, and voilà – enjoy the Isidoros Breakout Remake game!
The future of coding: AI at the helm
The ability of AI to write code is one of the most fascinating advancements in artificial intelligence. As software continues to permeate every aspect of our lives, the democratization of programming will empower countless individuals who have great ideas but lack coding skills. We’re already seeing the emergence of tech startups that operate without a traditional tech team, relying on AI to handle the majority of their coding tasks!
While my demo above is just the beginning, tools like Devin are right around the corner. Devin claims to be the world’s first fully autonomous AI software engineer, capable of programming entire software projects rather than just simple apps and routines. With tools like Devin, the potential for innovation and productivity in software development is boundless.
This trend is set to explode as AI continues to improve, eventually surpassing human coders and even programming future iterations of itself; and when AI starts to program itself, the sky is the limit for how far its intelligence may reach…