We are in the midst of the 'Third Golden Age of Software Engineering'
The third golden age of software engineering – thanks to AI, with Grady Booch - YouTube
The third golden age of software engineering – thanks to AI, with Grady Booch
https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/the-third-golden-age-of-software
Booch states, 'There have been two golden ages in the history of computing since the 1940s.' The first golden age was from the 1940s to the 1970s, when computer science was established and algorithm theory and programming developed rapidly. Booch describes this as the 'age of algorithms.' The second golden age was the 'age of object-orientation and abstraction' from the 1970s to the 2000s, when abstraction at the language level advanced and structural software design became the standard. Booch developed the object-oriented software development methodology known as the Booch Method , and is known as a pioneer in the field of object-oriented software engineering.
The third golden age, which has been underway since the 2020s, is the 'Systems Age.' Its core competency lies in the design and construction of entire large-scale systems, including services, cloud computing, and AI models, rather than individual programs. The 'Systems Age' requires not only the ability to write individual programs, but also the ability to integrate multiple services, APIs, cloud platforms, and data platforms.
According to Booch, the advent of the 'systems era' was a trend that had been underway even before the recent AI boom, and was influenced by the increasing abstraction from individual components to libraries, platforms, and entire packages. However, Booch points out that AI is a good fit for the 'systems era,' where holistic optimization is emphasized, because it helps build more complex systems with less effort than before.
While Booch acknowledged that AI is now capable of advanced coding, he said that while it can be useful for high-level abstraction and routine tasks, essential design decisions and responsibilities should remain with humans, stating that 'AI is not a replacement for developers.' While AI tools are trained based on existing patterns, he said, computing is a vast, unknown field, with plenty of room for human exploration.
Meanwhile, Booch pointed out that one area that is particularly susceptible to the impact of automation is the 'software delivery pipeline.' The delivery pipeline refers to the process of taking the code written by programmers and making it usable by users. This is an area where AI excels, and it will be an area with great economic value in investing in AI. Booch pointed out that the personnel who have been responsible for infrastructure operations and pipeline management will need to transition to new skills.
Booch concluded by saying, 'We can look at the current situation and say, 'Oh no, we're going to fall,' or we can say, 'No, we're going to soar.' Now is the time to soar,' emphasizing the importance of responding to the third golden age of software engineering.
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