The New Stack Podcast

What’s the Future for Software Developers?

Aug 22, 2024

Paige Bailey, who began coding at age 9 and now leads the GenAI developer experience at Google, shares insights on the future of software development. She discusses how generative AI is democratizing coding, allowing developers to focus on creativity instead of routine tasks. Bailey also emphasizes that critical thinking and problem-solving have become more vital than traditional coding skills. She sees AI not as a replacement for developers, but as a tool to enhance their work, underlining the importance of effective application in tech.

32:21

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Episode guests

Paige Bailey

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Generative AI is democratizing software development by allowing developers to focus on creativity and oversight rather than routine coding tasks.

The emphasis on traditional computer science education is shifting towards critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills to prepare diverse future developers.

Deep dives

The Evolution of Generative AI at Google

Generative AI has become a significant focus for Google, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the user experience for its various AI tools. The development journey began with internal projects like BERT and cutting-edge models such as Palm II, which laid the groundwork before expanding to public offerings. With the surge in interest following the launch of ChatGPT, Google has quickly transitioned from experimentation to rapid deployment of new features and models. The team is now concentrated on making these AI models more user-friendly, integrating them with both internal tools and third-party applications while improving documentation and tutorials.

Intro

2min

The Evolution of Generative Models in Tech

3min

The Evolution of Programming through AI

15min

The Evolving Landscape of Software Development

8min

Exploring the Future of AI in Education and Gaming

5min

Paige Bailey, who began coding at age 9 in rural Texas, now leads the GenAI developer experience at Google. In a conversation with Chris Pirillo on The New Stack Makers, Bailey reflected on the evolving role of software development in the era of generative AI. While she once urged her nieces and nephews to pursue computer science degrees, Bailey now believes that critical thinking and problem-solving may be more crucial for future tech careers.

She emphasized that generative AI is democratizing software development, making it more accessible and enabling developers to focus on creative tasks rather than the minutiae of coding. Bailey's experience at Google highlights this shift, as she now acts more as a reviewer and overseer of AI-generated code. She sees GenAI not as a replacement for developers but as a tool to accelerate their creativity and tackle longstanding backlogs. Bailey believes the key is ensuring everyone understands how to effectively apply generative AI to their work.

Learn more from The New Stack about the future of development:

7 Ways to Future Proof Your Developer Job in the Age of AI

The Future of Developer Careers

4 Forecasts for the Future of Developer Relations

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