I lately saw the following Software Development jobs requirements:
Experience with Generative AI - Advantage
What the hack does it means? I know how to use ChatGPT or Bard, but how much experience can one have to be experienced with it?
And I’m not talking about AI/ML or Algorithmist jobs
- Java developer wanted
- Minimum 6 years of experience writing Large Language Generative AI Models
- Pay range $12-$18/hour
I hope it means knowing how to use it and knowing it’s limitations… but I doubt it was a programmer making the job description.
It’s a useful tool, but not magic. Sometimes it just makes shit up…
Since ChatGPT went public, devs have been using it to write stuff for them, knowing how to do it efficiently could increase productivity for minor tasks (kinda like GitHub’s Copilot) but IMO it’s just an upgraded rubber duck.
It means HR wrote the posting.
I’d be prepared to give a statement in an interview on how generative AI is a useful tool but doesn’t replace programmers, and that even if it someday did, there would still need to be people with programming skill to integrate the generated code into the existing system, understand the implications of the new code on the existing system, etc, but I wouldn’t go further than that.
Great advice
This is total speculation, best is to ask them why it matters to them. I’ve seen two things:
- People getting scared Generative AI will swallow their livelihood, turning to the devs to make some sense out of it.
- People getting ideas Generative AI will give them a competitive edge, turning to the devs to make some sense out of it.
Basically they may just be in the process of discussing internally what position to adopt and they don’t want someone totally clueless or uninterested onboard.
