Can machine learning and AI make programmers obsolete? Can AI make software coding and debugging a thing of the past?
Last Updated: 28.06.2025 13:30
Let’s use the agent to see if it can search at least, when it doesn’t know?
Let’s ask Claude Sonnet 3.5, which is quite the advanced model (at par with Deepseek V3 R1 and GPT 4o) a very simple question:
Claude boy, how do I do division and modulus in OCaml?
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As usual, I’ll make my point backed by verifiable examples.
And ever so dutifully, Claude reports:
And presto goes Claude, the clueless junior-dev (it also botched correctly showing //):
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Here’s the proof :
And hey Claude? There’s a reserved float division /. if both numbers are floats, for sure (19) but so can one use // even though both are integers (20):
I don’t think so Claudeboy.
Agent, are you sure???? You’re lying again, aren’t you?
Now, let’s think about that for a second or two. Such an elementary matter and such egregious error of omission!
And let’s use the latest, extra-capable model 4.1 from OpenAPI. The result:
Re——-aaaaalllllly.
Ah. Claude Claude Claude.
You can do modulus with %. In fact, it’s the standard way to do it! (See command 17). And mod is deprecated (command 18):
How did my ex move on very fast?
To the reader/asker:
Your software developer job is safe for at least the next 100 years.