AI Doesn’t Make Me the Same Coffee
I started to consume and appreciate coffee after I moved to Sweden in 2018. Coffee is a key part of the Swedish culture of fika, and it’s used as a way to combat the dark winter days months. For years, I’ve been considering the idea of buying a fancy coffee machine. You know, like those that grind different beans to make various types of coffee brews. My main motivation was to save time while having a wider range of coffee choices. However, upon reflection, I ended up understanding that the experience of making coffee is as important to me as the coffee itself. It turns out that I actually enjoy buying the coffee beans, grinding them by hand, putting the coffee powder in my moka pot, and taking the time to wait for the dark potion to be ready. The whole experience is a time investment, yes, but I noticed that it’s also good for reducing the frequency of my coffee consumption. So, modern coffee machines help to save time, but I still prefer making coffee myself. The reason is that I enjoy the process, not just the result. This situation made me think about the role of “the human experience” on many of the common things we do every day, and how AI is going to influence or change them in the future. The rest of this article is my perspective on this matter, and where I believe current advances in AI are leading us.1
Last week I participated in Jfokus 2024 as a speaker. The main topic of the conference was the latest advances in AI and the impact of this technology on the software industry. I noticed a general acceptance of the huge potential of AI, and the many ways in which it could/would make everything more efficient for developers. For many of us, it looks like writing code, testing, deploying, documenting, or just creating any kind of digital content will be AI-assisted in the coming years. So, there’s a notable concern regarding the future market need for human developers. Honestly, I find the mere question freaking scary, not only because I’m a developer myself, but also because I believe that coding is a pretty advanced skill.
