Lecture Notes on AI in Software Development by Thomas Dohmke

Introduction

• Speaker: Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub
• Theme: The evolution of software development and role of AI tools
• Personal Anecdote: Love for LEGO (childhood in Berlin, building with kids)
• GitHub Overview: Home for coding, collaboration among developers

Main Thesis

• Comparison: LEGO - Easy, creative building vs. Software Development - Daunting, complex
• Changing Landscape: Introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022
• Impact: Language enhancing software creation

Historical Overview of Programming Languages

1. 1940s - Plankalkül: First programming language; complex, inhuman structure
2. 1960s - COBOL: Vital for financial institutions; still not user-friendly
3. 1990s - Python: More human-friendly, yet still not intuitive like natural language

Breakthrough Moment

• June 2020: Access to OpenAI’s GPT-3 during COVID lockdown
  • Initial Test: Solved 93% of random programming exercises
  • Result: Creation of GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot

• Function: AI assistant predicting and completing code
• Adoption: Most widely adopted AI developer tool
• Significance: Major advancement in making programming accessible

Large Language Models

• Training Data: Vast libraries of human information
• Capabilities: Understanding and interpreting nearly every major human language
• Fusion: Language of humans and machines merged for accessibility

Demonstration on MacBook

1. OG Copilot: Predicted and completed code in the editor
   • Example: Creating a 3D LEGO Brick using JavaScript
2. Copilot Chat: ChatGPT functionality within editor
   • Expanded functionality (creating entire web pages, explanations in multiple languages)
3. Voice Interaction: Using voice commands to interact with Copilot
   • Example: Explaining code in German

New Product: Copilot Workspace

• Description: Tool for converting creative ideas directly into reality
• Functionality: Converts tasks into executable code without requiring technical knowledge
• Example: Creating a LEGO house from bricks code

Future of Software Development

• Projection: From 100 million developers to potentially 1 billion by 2030
• Increased Accessibility: Natural language as the only skill required for coding
• Global Impact: Raising 'nerditude' & democratizing software creation
• Professional Developers: Continued demand for maintaining and growing complex systems

Q&A Session

• Future Role of Humans: Pilots who creatively and strategically guide AI tools
• Analogy: Problem-solving like building with LEGO
• Future Projections: Growth in AI's role, yet consistent need for human oversight

Conclusion

• Vision: Software development to become as simple and joyful as playing with LEGO
• Thank You Note: Acknowledging audience and AI