The other day, I attended a Dev event and heard the following question:
"Do you still write code by hand?? With all this AI around."
I was struck by the indignation of the guy; he simply found it abnormal to write code by hand.
Today, I took a moment to reflect: wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve written texts or code. No matter how simple they are, I’ve delegated everything to AI. Which, definitely, is a crime and an invitation to ignorance, as I recognize writing as my primary form of learning.
By logical conclusion, this means that by abandoning writing, I abandon the subtle art of learning, creating, and thinking. And let’s face it, being intellectual (or at least appearing to be) is trendy these days.
Perhaps writing is one of the few things that can still reconcile mechanics, intellect, and the subconscious. You need to think about the output of the code that your processor (the brain) just computed and, through your buses, deposit that data on paper or screen. In the end, AI is just like us, hallucinating beautifully, but at least in theory, we should still be the state of the art.
So I decided to start this blog to keep creating. Whether it’s a silly text, telling a story, or discussing a technical topic across various fields of knowledge. And, in addition, for you, my dear reader, to get to know a bit about what and how I think.
Maybe this way you’ll trust me. If you don’t trust me enough, you can take my texts and ask an artificial intelligence for an analysis; maybe it will give you all the traits of my personality (we hallucinate in similar ways). And if no one reads it, that’s fine. Not every creation deserves to be seen, but it deserves to exist. (that meme of the pen on fire)
I’m a developer, and it has become impossible to ignore the extravagant and miraculous rise of artificial intelligence — disruptive technology that has come to finally replace programmers, doctors, and democratize knowledge.
But, in reality, it’s different: in my view, we’ve had a boom of democratized ignorance. In my shallow judgment, I find that a technology that makes you suppress your creativity and ignore mundane things (like writing something created by yourself) in exchange for supposed mental rest is killing your humanity and stunting your capacity.
"AI is like beer: use it in moderation" — would say the Detran ad during Carnival.
"Ask ChatGPT."
"Request ChatGPT."
Wow… man, just think! Allow yourself to hallucinate (within the limits of the law, my friend!), it’s part of the rock!
About reading: I know that watching a video might be more convenient, but be honest with me, you don’t even listen to the content of the video, you just want background noise. So, try reading. Read any newsletter written by AI, just like all the LinkedIn posts.
Because reading implies thinking, imagining, trying to get into the writer’s mind and seeing through their perspective. How insane: imagine seeing through the eyes of someone who only posts cheap AI content on LinkedIn. Insane.
That’s why I stuck with writing. This might make me an intellectual (which is in vogue these days) or a hermit (but I like the idea of being a crab).
Glossary
- Buses: In computing, these are the communication pathways through which data travels between the components of a system (like from the processor to memory). In the metaphor of the text, it’s the path between thought (brain) and the motor action of writing.
- State of the Art: The highest level of development achieved in a technique, technology, or scientific area at a given moment. The pinnacle of current capability.
- Disruptive Technology: A technological innovation that profoundly alters the way the market, industries, or users operate, replacing established patterns.
- Hallucinate (in the context of AI): A technical term used when an Artificial Intelligence model generates false, invented, or illogical information but presents it with extreme confidence as if it were fact.
- Newsletter: An informational bulletin published periodically, usually distributed via email to a list of subscribers interested in a specific topic.
