When artificial intelligence started to be widely discussed in 2022, programmers froze: some with curiosity, some with anxiety. Today, ChatGPT and similar tools are no longer news, but a working tool. But here's the question: is it more of an assistant, a competitor, or something else?

Assistant: automation of routine

Most programmers already use ChatGPT as an assistant. It can:

• Generate code templates

• Write SQL queries

• Explain algorithms in simple language

• Help with regular expressions (finally!)

• Translate code from one language to another

An enemy? Only if you copy it blindly

But there is a downside: ChatGPT is not a magic wand. Its code can be:

• Suboptimal

• Vulnerable

• Just wrong

And it often “confidently invents” libraries or methods. And if a junior copies such code into production, problems are inevitable.

New colleague: the focus of the profession is shifting

The most interesting thing is that AI is changing the very essence of a programmer's work. Now it is important not just to “write code”, but:

• Be able to formulate tasks (prompt engineering - almost like API design)

• Check and refine AI proposals

• Develop critical thinking about the source material

Paradoxically, the better a programmer you are, the more useful AI is for you - and the safer your profession.

What will happen in the future?

It can be different:

• Pessimistic: AI will displace most developers.

• Optimistic: it will free you from routine and accelerate growth in the profession.

• Realistic: it will transform roles. There will be fewer “code writers”, more architects and reviewers.

As a result: ChatGPT is neither an enemy nor a competitor. It's a tool. Smart, powerful, but still requiring a human being nearby.