Trend 4: AI agents and codeless software development bring “shock waves”

In terms of AI applications, what is worth watching in 2024 is the “shock wave” brought about by AI agents and code-free software development.

P77AAA-9351  The first is the impact of AI agents on the workforce structure.

So far, at least nearly 200 million people around the world have used AI grand models. But people are no longer content to sit in front of a computer and “chat” with AI, but are starting to develop tools that can automatically give AI tips based on tasks. When automated prompt tools are combined with large models, AI agents are born.

P77AAA-9351  In April 2023, OpenAI co-founder Brockman demonstrated GPT’s “automatic mode” live. In the demonstration, the AI agent almost “arranged” a dinner party: not only generated a recommended menu for the dinner party according to the request, an illustrated invitation letter, but also automatically added the ingredients needed to buy the menu to the shopping cart of the fresh e-commerce APP, and automatically published a social website post about the dinner.

AI agents can also automatically make websites according to vague demand prompts, automatically complete various text and form processing tasks that need to be completed using Office software, and even automatically summarize and generate analysis papers according to existing paper data.

P77AAA-9351  Bill Gates recently posted a long article on the future of AI agents, saying that AI agents will completely change the way people use computers, bringing the most significant innovation in the way humans interact with computers since the invention of the keyboard, screen and mouse.

P77AAA-9351  AI is seen as a scalable tool that enhances the collection, analysis and processing of human information, allowing people to work at a new level. But at the same time, AI agents are also impacting many existing jobs, as companies may try to hire fewer people to perform the same tasks. This kind of destruction of the existing economic structure brought about by innovation is called “creative destruction” by the American economist Schumpeter. As AI agents replace a large number of tasks that require less computer skill, this forced workforce will have to adapt to new labor-market demands in what is bound to be a prolonged and painful process.

The second is the impact of code-free software development on innovation in the digital economy.

P77AAA-9351  While generative AI may eliminate a number of traditional digital jobs, it also opens a window while closing a door: code-free software development. At present, programming AIDS based on AI large models have developed to a new stage, which can generate software or web code according to the user’s very vague instructions. For example, in a demonstration of GPT-4 in 2023, the presenter simply hand-wrote a very sloppy structural sketch on A4 paper, and GPT-4 automatically generated a Web page that was actually accessible. This undoubtedly greatly lowers the threshold for developing IT services. As long as a person has enough creative, can meet the needs of many people’s digital service “idea”, can become the outlet of Internet innovation, “everyone can innovate” era has arrived.

In this regard, the government needs to change its concept, take into account market regulation and promote innovation, on the one hand, reduce the registration and financing threshold in the process of digital innovation, open up the pain points in the development and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, and make employment and innovation policies adapt to the new demand of “everyone can innovate”. On the other hand, we need to explore new copyright and patent protection policies that are more conducive to the protection of innovative “ideas”, so as to encourage those talents who can continue to come up with innovative “ideas”.

To sum up, looking forward to 2024, whether it is the iterative development of artificial intelligence technology itself, its reshaping of data value, or its application penetration into various industries and fields, the impact of artificial intelligence can be said to be everywhere, not only empowering scientific research, innovation and the economy, but also bringing new challenges and risks. We should look at the many changes brought about by artificial intelligence with an open mind, and prudently study and respond to the new issues and risks it may bring.