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Given the recent events and advances in the field of AI and machine learning, it is pretty clear that we are headed for a major disruption in the field of software development at large, including of course the web development industry.
PHP still being one of the most commonly used programming languages for web development, and Laravel being one of the most popular choices of PHP frameworks today, it only makes sense to ask the question - how does Laravel, both as a project and as a community, plan on adapting to the new paradigm where a lot of code development is effectively being "outsorced" to large language AI models and where the definition of what we in the community call "being an artisan" is going to dramatically change over the course of the following years.
It is easy to dismiss this whole thing as "hype" and say AI models are simply another tool that will only make web developers more efficient in what they do, but I think that kind of thinking is slightly naive, especially given the fact that many jobs were indeed completely replaced by tools (just think car factories), and while on a societal level, it hardly matters because new jobs are always being created and people adapt and refocus, I think on an individual level is matters, and it matters in a big way.
We've all had different reasons for learning Laravel, but I think it's clear that one of the major selling points of Laravel is its community and just a sense of developer satisfaction. Clearly written, concise and beginner friendly documentation, incredible open source ecosystem and educational platforms such as Laracasts just to name a few. However, all of this quickly becomes a lot less relevant if all you will eventually need to produce entire web projects is a carefully constructed languge prompt for an AI model. And I'm not saying this will happen in 2023, but it's definitely coming quick, and our industry is going to feel it in a big way.
How do you think Laravel should adapt in the coming years, and what do you think is the path we as developers should start thinking about and preparing for?
I think Laravel and its community will likely adapt by embracing the integration of AI models into the software development process. The Laravel ecosystem could provide tools and resources for developers to work with AI models, such as AI-powered code generators and training datasets. The Laravel community could also provide educational resources to help developers understand how to work with AI models and adapt their skills.
All AI is Is a fancy look up tool for things humans have already programmed and done.
It makes for lazy humans that don't want to learn their job in detail.
Years ago I learned how to do my own in place table editing by going through the learning curve. Most programmers don't seem to want to learn this kind of stuff anymore.
I guess they had rather have AI Whip it up for them.. ( Get it from other people's code).
I'd rather stay a Strong aqua Velva man who can hold my shoulders up and know that I know my stuff.
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