What are your thoughts on a future where code is represented as a structured model, rather than text? Do you think that AI-powered coding assistants benefit from that?

/ \ and ⁄ / | \

First, it’s worth noting that the “syntax recognition” phase of most compilers already does build a “structured model”, often in what used to be called a “canonical form” (an example of this might be a “pseudo-function tree” where every elementary process description is put into the same form — so both “a + b” and “for i := 1 to x do […]” are rendered as

+ for

Bluetooth flaws could let hackers spy through your microphone - BleepingComputer

plus(a, b) for(i, 1, x, […])

It’s important to realize that “modern “AI” doesn’t understand human level meanings any better today (in many cases: worse!). So it is not going to be able to serve as much of a helper in a general coding assistant.

Another canonical form could be Lisp S-expressions, etc.

Why Circle's ‘Super Positive’ IPO Could be Bullish for Ethereum: Analysts - Decrypt

i.e. “operator like things” at the nodes …

These structures are made precisely to allow programs to “reason” about some parts of lower level meaning, and in many cases to rearrange the structure to preserve meaning but to make the eventual code that is generated more efficient.

Long ago in the 50s this was even thought of as a kind of “AI” and this association persisted into the 60s. Several Turing Awards were given for progress on this kind of “machine reasoning”.

Dinosaurs Had More Than Just Teeth—They Had Cancer, and It’s Changing Everything - The Daily Galaxy

a b i 1 x []

in structures, such as:

NOT DATA … BUT MEANING!

Have you ever accidentally found out that you were about to be fired?

Most coding assistants — with or without “modern “AI” — also do reasoning and manipulation of structures.

A slogan that might help you get past the current fads is: