Traditionally, coding was the bastion of the select few who had mastered mighty languages like C++, Python, or Java. The idea of programming seemed exclusively reserved for those fluent in syntax and logic. However, the narrative is now being challenged by natural language coding being implemented in AI tools like GitHub Copilot.
Andrej Karpathy, senior director of AI at Tesla predicted this trend last year.
The hottest new programming language is English
— Andrej Karpathy (@karpathy) January 24, 2023
But what if you could code by simply telling the computer what you wanted in plain, simple English? This is no longer hypothetical; English is emerging as the universal coding language.
Voices Leading the Change
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang believes that English is becoming a new programming language thanks to AI advancements. Speaking at the World Government Summit, Huang explained, “It is our job to create computing technology such that nobody has to program and that the programming language is human.”
This transformation, driven by large language models like ChatGPT, allows users to interact with complex systems using natural language, making technology accessible to everyone. He calls this a “miracle of AI,” emphasising how it closes the technology divide and empowers people from all fields to become effective technologists without traditional coding skills.
This shift represents a profound democratisation of programming. No longer is the power to create software restricted to those who can decipher programming languages. Anyone with a problem to solve and a clear enough articulation of that problem can now write software.
“In the future, you will tell the computer what you want, and it will do it,” Huang commented. Large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s GPT-4 and its successors have made this possible. These models are capable of understanding complex human language, translating it into executable code, and even iterating on that code based on feedback.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been equally vocal about the potential of English for coding. Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot, an AI code assistant, enables developers to describe their needs in natural language and receive functional code in response. Nadella describes this as part of a broader mission to “empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more.”
The Paradigm Shift
Generative AI is transforming software development by enabling natural language prompts to generate code, reducing the need for traditional programming skills. Tools like Cursor AI and GitHub Copilot exemplify this shift, allowing developers or even non-developers to build applications by describing tasks in plain English.
These systems provide real-time code suggestions and streamline debugging processes, making IDEs more accessible and efficient.
However, while these tools can handle routine coding tasks, experts argue that complex, large-scale software still benefits from traditional coding environments for greater control and precision.
In a discussion earlier last year, Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque claimed, “41% of codes on GitHub are AI-generated.”
Similarly, data scientists using platforms like Apache Spark’s English SDK can perform complex data analysis without writing a single line of traditional code. They can simply instruct the system in English, asking for insights, charts, or models, and the system delivers.
Now, with tools like Copilot and NVIDIA’s AI frameworks, even non-technical professionals can describe their app’s features in English, and let the AI generate the necessary code. The process, once cumbersome and costly, becomes streamlined and accessible.
While English as a coding language lowers the barrier to entry, it doesn’t eliminate the need for skill. Here, the art of prompt engineering—crafting precise and effective instructions for AI—becomes crucial. As Huang puts it, “There is an artistry to prompt engineering. It’s how you fine-tune the instructions to get exactly what you want”
In 2024, the ability to program is no longer reserved for a few. It’s a skill anyone can wield, thanks to the power of natural language processing and AI. So, whether you’re a seasoned developer or someone who’s never written a line of code, the future invites you to participate, innovate, and create. English is no longer just a global language for communication, it’s the new language of innovation.
The question now isn’t whether you can learn to code. It’s: What will you build next?
