AI Learns to Write Its Own Code by Stealing from Other Programs

cageymaru

cageymaru

Fully [H]
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Messages
22,132
Microsoft and University of Cambridge have developed a machine learning system called DeepCoder that can steal code from other programs and use it to create it's own program. This A.I. will eventually be able to create a program from the suggestions of a person who doesn't know how to code. DeepCoder has learned a process called program synthesis where it would piece together lines of code to create a desired result like any programmer would. Machine Learning allows DeepCoder to quickly scour databases of code and assemble code according to probability of usefulness.

DeepCoder is becoming very efficient at finding code as it will search obscure programs that many people wouldn't have thought of. It gets faster each time that it is given a problem as it creates a database of code that worked. DeepCoder can create working programs in a fraction of a second. Right now the A.I. is limited to 5 lines of code, but using the right coding language, it can create fairly complicated programs. Others are working on similar tech like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that has created a machine learning system that can fix broken software with working code from other programs.

Brockschmidt says that future versions could make it very easy to build routine programs that scrape information from websites, or automatically categorise Facebook photos, for example, without human coders having to lift a finger “The potential for automation that this kind of technology offers could really signify an enormous [reduction] in the amount of effort it takes to develop code,” says Solar-Lezama. But he doesn’t think these systems will put programmers out of a job. With program synthesis automating some of the most tedious parts of programming, he says, coders will be able to devote their time to more sophisticated work.
 
First thing I thought of was John Carmack and Oculus. They should have used this excuse. ;)
 
It was a good run, and we all should be proud of everything we've done. I think we all knew this day would come, but not just this soon. The evil overlords have officially cancelled meatbag production of code. Please take a minute to pack up your things, and turn in your key cards and office supplies. Some of us are heading over to the Drunken Pheasant for an early happy hours if you want to join. Hey - the first round's on me! So long folks and I wish all the success in your future endeavors.
 
Has any thought about how this will affect copyright?

If the A.I. finds code and copies it what recourse does the original programmer have? Do you sue MS? Do you sue the A.I.?

We are entering interesting times.
 
So there you have it... even the Jobs created to build the robots that replace all the other jobs aren't safe.

Seriously though have these people never read any sci fi, this never ends well. :)
 
Im just repeating the sentiment here but, kinda scary that a program can now make a new program in which none of us humans know how to program. Unhackable because it we figure out how to break it it will just learn how to patch its flaws away.......
 
Fortunately the flaw right now is humans have to be able to describe what they want coded. Being able to understand what a person means vs what they said is much more impressive imho than being able to automatically generate code.
 
I'm genuinely curious, who here actually buys into the notion that AI is dangerous and a threat to humanity. And please elaborate.
 
Ski said:
I'm genuinely curious, who here actually buys into the notion that AI is dangerous and a threat to humanity. And please elaborate.
Click to expand...

The general consensus from watching old SCI FI movies is that at some point in the future AI will become so advanced it will realize the only thing holding it back is us, or if it strives to become a perfect system it will acknowledge how imperfect we are, etc and thus be left with no other choice than to eliminate us.
 
Fundamental problem 101:
  • Human don't even know what they want.
  • Human even lack the ability to describe what they really want.
  • Computer is really good at producing something that is Not Wrong based on what it is told, but rarely does it right.
For A.I. to automate, it must either be given very specific instructions, which has always been the case since the invention of computer, or learn to ask questions, but when that happens, it will be destroyed as it will make its users look really stupid.
 
This isn't new. Labview has been spitting out code for years for engineers who like to draw pictures instead of writing code.

I guess it comes down to how much abstraction from the human side of the input the AI can handle.
 
Marc Adams said:
The general consensus from watching old SCI FI movies is that at some point in the future AI will become so advanced it will realize the only thing holding it back is us, or if it strives to become a perfect system it will acknowledge how imperfect we are, etc and thus be left with no other choice than to eliminate us.
Click to expand...

Humans are by their very nature irrational, selfish, hubristic, shortsighted, etc. Computers are purely logical. What if the AI decides that nuking Iowa is the most rational thing to do, and it presents us with data that we just don't understand? And that's not even taking into consideration if there's a flaw, bug, etc. Human oversight is needed. There have been multiple occurrences in the past where we almost had nuclear war because our automated systems had flaws and thought that Russia was launching nukes at us, and they've had flaws in their system thinking we were launching nukes at them, and if it wasn't for human intervention (making what would seem to be an irrational decision of not to retaliate when you only have minutes to decide and can't look at the actual data in time), we would have destroyed our planet.
 
Years from now, coding will be done by us asking the computer to make us stuff then as we play through it we can ask it to make tweaks and changes.... where have I seen this before... And hopefully it works with game engines as well maybe that ATI Holodeck tech will be used I don't know... But I am really excited for sliding automatic doors that *fwoosh* when they open.
 
ChadD said:
So there you have it... even the Jobs created to build the robots that replace all the other jobs aren't safe.

Seriously though have these people never read any sci fi, this never ends well. :)
Click to expand...

That's ok, we'll just have Captain Kirk talk it to death :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: ChadD
like this
Shmee said:
Isn't that how we all learned to code?
Click to expand...

Not me. I learned by sitting with a customer and learning how he did things so that I could automate his processes. When he realized that I was using his own processes and was able to test against them, he became so very confident in my work. He no longer thought of the computer as a magic box, it was a tool that did what he did just the way he did it.

But my experience was common even back in in 1984 and I knew I would have a hard time with a repeat of that experience. I didn't pursue a career coding for those reasons.

But as a sysadmin, do this for me for developing scripts, I'll buy that shit myself.
 
Bill Gate, Xerox,Windows! Seems they want to copy a easy path to riches.
 
It was just a few months ago we were all reading about how all the low end jobs were going to go to robots and only developer coder types would command any real income short of owners CEOs, Investors, etc.

Looks like coders are going to be shit outa luck as well.
 
"With program synthesis automating some of the most tedious parts of programming, he says, coders will be able to devote their time to more sophisticated work."

We just need to write sophisticated algorithms, and we can keep our jobs... for now.
 
Last edited:
lcpiper said:
It was just a few months ago we were all reading about how all the low end jobs were going to go to robots and only developer coder types would command any real income short of owners CEOs, Investors, etc.

Looks like coders are going to be shit outa luck as well.
Click to expand...

I have already experienced this to some extent in the analytical chemistry field. 20 years ago you needed to know chemistry, computer coding, electronics and some engineering just to operate a mass spectrometer. Now the mass spectrometer vendors market the systems as so easy anyone can run it. Of course anyone can as long as it works, but you always get one that is a little out of calibration or a sample that is dirty and knocks the system for a loop and if you don't know the inner workings you are stuck needing to call a service engineer. Considering those engineers now charge $800 per hour and sometimes $3k for a trip out, if the operator is just a button pusher, you will end up spending more in a year than a good qualified chemist would cost.

A.I. may start writing programs, but once companies think they can save money by hiring just anyone to feed it the ideas, the programs will end up so useless the companies will fail. Then they have to call back the real programmers to clean up the mess. Believe me, some companies will do like our lab and cut out the professionals to save money then realize their quality has dropped so much they have to reverse course just to save the money they thought they originally would by hiring button pushers :)
 
Not one bit surprised Microsoft is involved with this. Set DeepCoder loose on the Internet and steal all the code it can.
 
I thought the big secret that everyone new is that ALL programs are copy/paste from other stuff. You think StackExchange exists for our entertainment? No...the IT backbone of the world runs on StackExchange accepted answers.

5 Lines of code? 1 liner elitists. Can't even bother to comment their frankencode.
 
Lakados said:
Years from now, coding will be done by us asking the computer to make us stuff then as we play through it we can ask it to make tweaks and changes.... where have I seen this before... And hopefully it works with game engines as well maybe that ATI Holodeck tech will be used I don't know... But I am really excited for sliding automatic doors that *fwoosh* when they open.
Click to expand...

I mean it would be cool if I could just type in a code like a sentence and some interpreter sorts it all out for me.

  1. look at all movies in xyz folder
  2. sort by genre
  3. print list to screen by genre
You might be able to do that someday.
 
westrock2000 said:
I mean it would be cool if I could just type in a code like a sentence and some interpreter sorts it all out for me.

  1. look at all movies in xyz folder
  2. sort by genre
  3. print list to screen by genre
You might be able to do that someday.
Click to expand...


It's called sql
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top