Am I a hypocrite for wanting AI to code but not write? Where is the demarcation — or is there one?

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

I am not a coder or a software developer. My background is in Electrical Engineering and specifically in chip design. But as most chip or hardware designers will confirm, their lives revolve around software — not just using it to design but also manipulating it through their own scripts and utilities. I actually worked for a company that develops software for chip design and hence I have a fairly strong tie to software. Also, like many hobbyists, I occasionally dabble in coding for fun, whether to create an app or to teach the kids when they were still in school. But I am clearly not a trained, professional developer.

I am also not a writer. I did dream of and aspire to be one when I was young, but I ended up being an Engineer. When I recently decided to quit my day job in pursuit of something deeper and more meaningful, writing was an obvious choice as a vehicle for that exploration. I have neither the fire nor the talent to write the next great novel or bestseller. But writing helps me to collect my thoughts, get in touch with my inner self and connect with a handful of readers that I have, including family and friends.

In short, I have no reason to fear being displaced by AI from either of the two jobs — coding or writing, or to worry about AI…