All computer users may soon have the ability to author small bits of code, thanks to large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4. This implies structural changes in the production and distribution of software, which could go beyond making our current process faster. LLMs will not only make skilled professional developers more productive, but will also enable end-users to fully harness the power of computers without resorting to the complexity of normal programming. This could lead to changes such as one-off scripts, one-off GUIs, businesses developing more software in-house, modding/extensions, and recombinant software. In this series of posts, starting with this one, Geoffrey Litt will dig in and explore the broader changes LLMs might enable for malleable software.
