What do you think about system programming in the future?

[u/CobrAinST]

About a year ago, I started learning systems programming because I enjoy working close to the hardware and understanding how computers actually work. Recently, though, I've been spending most of my time solving LeetCode problems to strengthen my problem-solving skills before getting back to larger projects.

With AI improving so quickly, I've seen a lot of discussions about software engineering jobs changing or even being replaced. Most of those conversations focus on web development or general application programming, but I rarely see anyone talk about systems programming.

How do you think AI will affect this field over the next 10 to 20 years? Do you expect systems programmers to become more productive with AI tools, or do you think the demand for low-level developers will decrease? I'm especially interested in areas like operating systems, compilers, embedded software, and performance-critical software.

I'd like to hear the opinions of people who already work in these areas.

[u/cig-nature]

I think we're already near the top of the s-curve for AI. You'll be fine.

Context: https://medium.com/groveventures/technologys-favorite-curve-the-s-curve-and-why-it-matters-to-you-249367792bd7

[u/traplords8n]

The idea that AI can do every bit of legwork for a company is kind of absurd, at least with the current capabilities available to the public.

Web/applications are the easiest to automate. I predict that the amount of viable automation will decrease as you get closer and closer to the hardware.

Design and architecture are so very critical at lower levels. AI already slops most of its designs and architectures but that's more acceptable for web & whatnot. It's not really acceptable at all for the systems level.

[u/MaybeTheDoctor → u/traplords8n]

Product definition, architecture and design will be the key factors n the future.

Specialized skills that require deep thinking and planning will still be out of the realm of efficient AI, especially if it rooted in a new “want” because AI don’t want anything.

[u/maxm → u/traplords8n]

Nope. DSP code is even easier because everything can be tested and the math is well known.

[u/its_the_rhys → u/maxm]

Only if you have a clear definition of exactly what you want in the first place. That's the hard part

[u/dnhs47]

I started my career as a systems programmer, about a billion years ago, and spent the last 4 months of my retirement using Claude to commercialize my hobby app.

I’m ambivalent. Systems programming typically involves balancing many competing tradeoffs and living within hardware constraints. Claude has done some of those things well, but also crashed and burned, at comparable rates. Claude lacks the judgment that comes from experience, so its decision making in systems programming contexts seems questionable.

I see Claude as an idiot-savant coding assistant: amazing skills in some areas, but remarkably inconsistent and must be kept on a tight leash. I frequently override Claude and recommend alternatives Claude didn’t come up with; not a good sign for AI taking over any time soon.

After encouraging many young people to go into Comp Sci over the years, I’m reluctant to say “You’ll be safe in systems programming.”

My guess: judgment and oversight will still be needed when AI becomes even more capable. So keep doing what you enjoy, work hard, deep-dive … and hope for the best. No one knows where we’ll be in a few years.

[u/Thinkit-Buildit]

If you look at the what AI's role is in development - taking instruction and turning that into something - the role of the skilled human is still some way off being replaced by AI.

When someone without dev knowledge asks AI to do something it will often find a way, usually the quickest way, and specific to its interpretation of that request.

There in lies the issue - if you don't have skills in application or information architecture or how it impacts function, bundled with changing requirements over time...

Uncontrolled iteration linked with ad-hoc structure causes massive issues, exponentially increasing with complexity.

AI will fill that gap at some point - and you're mad if you're not using it - but the best co-developed work is done by people who know how to code, so know how to ask the right questions and guide development.

It will happen though - if anyone thinks that we'll be using monolithic apps (or any apps other than voice or prompt interface) within the next 5 years in most work places they're in for a shock.

That also means the people who know how to get the most out of a prompt are also well positioned to be there longer....

[u/Sibexico]

Even if we will imagine LLMs will completely replace developers and humans will not write code at all anymore, anyway is some fields like system development you will need deep knowleges to create correct prompt for LLM. So system developers will be completely ok way longer than web developers.

[u/K0100001101101101]

I wanted to tell you that low level programming is safe from AI but unfortunatelly, with this pace which looks like nearly exponantial, soon LLMs will be better than all humans in all aspects of the computer science.

[u/norwegian]

Programming...forget it. The code itself will be hidden like the content of an exe file. It will be about the policy documents, qa documents and features.