As somebody who has worked in software development for nearly a decade, I've seen firsthand the advancements AI has made since tools like ChatGPT became publicly available in 2023. The rapid pace at which it has improved has been incredible to witness, but also a little unnerving. How good could this thing get? And as parents, you're probably wondering - is it still worth my child learning to code if AI can just do it? Here's our take.
I've heard a tonne of analogies trying to sum up AI when it comes to writing code. It's like going from a handsaw to a chainsaw. From hand-washing dishes to a dishwasher. From writing all your sums down to using a calculator. All of these are on the right track - the main point being that AI makes what we do much, much faster. But they still don't capture the nature of AI and how it tries to mimic what we do.
So the closest analogy for me? Having an incredibly zealous assistant who will work tirelessly until they've accomplished the task at hand. But here's the thing - this assistant sometimes makes mistakes. Big mistakes. Imagine asking it to clean your house, only to find out it's gotten rid of your cat because it deemed the cat an untidy creature.
AI tools are powerful assistants, but human guidance remains essential
The point being that the assistant needs very clear instructions, and you need to be able to understand when the assistant is about to make a mistake - or has already made one. Because when it comes to coding, things get complicated, fast.
Yes, AI can generate code for us at pace and will only get faster at this, but who decides what the code is for? Who decides that the code is safe to go live? Who spots when the AI has taken a shortcut that will cause problems six months down the line? And when something breaks at 2am - who understands the system well enough to fix it?
That's exactly how we teach at Head Start Coding. Our courses don't just teach syntax and commands - we teach kids how to think like programmers, break down problems, and yes, how to work alongside AI tools effectively. Whether they're building games in Scratch, creating websites with HTML and CSS, or developing Python applications, our students learn to be the architects, not just the button-pushers. They learn when to trust AI, when to question it, and most importantly, how to spot when it's about to throw out the metaphorical cat.
P.S. - No actual cats were harmed in the writing of this blog post. AI assistants, however, remain under close supervision.
