The Age of Personalized Software: How LLMs Are Changing Programming

Today, I want to talk about the role of LLMs in the software industry.

First, let me start by saying that the magic of LLMs is real; they really do help with writing all kinds of software and with software-related tasks.

But I’m not here to predict the end of programming. The other day, I thought about using generative AI to write some music for me. See, as a child, I wrote a couple of songs whose lyrics I quite liked, but I was never an advanced or diligent enough musician to turn them into professional-sounding pieces. The songs are still around, featuring my voice and a guitar, but they feel more like drafts – something you’d show a fellow musician before considering it done.

So, the other day, I found this guy on YouTube who was showing how to use various pieces of software to turn lyrics into music, complete with AI singing voices and musical instruments. I was amazed, but once I started paying closer attention to what he was doing, it became increasingly obvious that he’s very knowledgeable about music production. In other words, he knows how to do all of it without AI. Sure, I could probably create something too, but that ‘something’ would either be far below today’s musical standards or take me an incredible amount of time to produce.

Where was I… ah yes, software. So, sure, now anyone can feel like a programmer, just like YouTube tutorials make us all feel like electricians, car mechanics, or doctors. And now, with LLMs, we’re all lawyers and accountants too… right?

Okay, I can fix a plug, tighten a screw, and change the oil in my car. And now, anyone can make a simple snake game using AI. But have you seen the state of professional software? Making money from apps requires hiring graphic designers, UX experts, and who knows what else.

Because people, on average, aren’t going to part with their cash just to use a basic app made by one developer.

But where does this leave us programmers? Well, I still love LLMs because I get to write personalized apps. And I think that’s where things are heading. It’s not just your grandmother getting a custom app from her grandchildren; it’s also your company’s accountant getting a personal app or a plug-in to make their spreadsheet work easier.

The value of each individual app made by this kind of “vibe coding” might be low, but collectively, they add up. Think of the scale – maybe it aggregates to something significant, perhaps illustrating the kind of value we see in OpenAI’s valuation, just through sheer volume.

So, to conclude, is this the end of programming or the start of something new? I’d say neither.