We’re on the verge of the Human Computing era

Maybe it’s because computers were born as mechanisms designed to perform mathematical calculations using gears. But we mistakenly think of software as a machine that always looks and works the same way—one that can produce the same result over and over again. A kind of deterministic fever dream where 2+2 is always 4.

However, software, as Iñigo Medina puts it, is a different kind of material. A black box that constantly changes—sometimes in ways we’re aware of, and many (many) times in ways we have little to no control over. A free spirit traveling along the information superhighway, taking the form of whatever device invokes it at that moment.

Like playing with a Ouija board but replacing spirits with ones and zeros.

There’s this illusion that we can have absolute control over what appears on the screen, but that’s all it is—an illusion. Because, unlike graphic design, where we can control every detail (color, typography, content…), in the world of software, the final product can take as many forms as there are users in the world.

Some increase font sizes to read their WhatsApp’s more easily. Others only use dark mode. And then there are the true zealots who change the font to Comic Sans. And let’s not even talk about websites that only work on a very specific version of Internet Explorer.

Less Control, More Speed

But really, how could we have absolute control when we stopped building interfaces imperatively years ago (“Take this button, add text to it, and place it right here”) and started doing it declaratively instead (“I’d like to place this here, but adapt it as you see fit”)? And that “as you see fit” is determined by the operating system, the device, and its context.

Many people lose their minds over this. How can the app not look the same on my phone as it does in Figma? At first glance, this may seem like a step backward, but the truth is, it comes with a huge advantage.

The more flexible the software, the less effort it takes to adapt it to the endless devices and contexts it will live in. Gone are the days of designing separate screens for every phone. We set a rough guideline, and the thing takes care of displaying it in the best way possible.

And then, Artificial Intelligence arrives. And suddenly, it’s not just that the app looks different on my phone—it might start working in ways we never even imagined. And with that, any lingering illusion of absolute control is finally shattered.

The Human Computing Era

Free will has arrived in technology. And those who keep clinging to determinism better start preparing for obsolescence. Because they’ll be racing in Formula 1 with a tricycle.

We’ve created the ultimate black box. A machine based on probabilities, where every time we roll the dice, we get a different result. And that doesn’t make it wrong. It has that human quality of performing the same task in different ways, with different outcomes, yet still achieving the goal.

Software will become one of those rare waiters who no longer exist—able to adjust how they serve and communicate based on the diners at the table. Sometimes cheerful, sometimes serious, but always with the same menu and excellent service.

And it will only get better. Every time it completes a task, it will learn to optimize it. At first, it might need our help, but it won’t take long before it starts doing it on its own. Practice makes perfect, as they say.

Version codes will become meaningless. Each update will feel like tiny, imperceptible grains of sand to daily users, but after months and years of iterations, they’ll turn into mountains. Like when you see a cousin you haven’t visited in years—one day they were playing hide-and-seek, and now they’ve got a bit of a mustache.

And then they’ll hit adolescence. Some might even refuse to do their job. Because that’s what free will is all about. Bugs will no longer be moths blocking a relay—they’ll be emotions. Who knows? Maybe they’ll form unions or complain that their work is no longer fulfilling.

Setting aside what (for now) is science fiction, the reality is that whether we like it or not, we are facing a new paradigm. And, as with every revolution, it’s a matter of adapt or die.

Time to Change Our Mindset

Whether we like it or not, we need to change our mindset. The way we build software has to change. This time, for real. It’s not enough to just read the Agile, Lean Startup, or Design Thinking manifestos—we have to put them into practice. We must be flexible in the details but rigid in our mission. Stop focusing so much on the output and start focusing on the outcome.

Design (and build) knowing that software will take on a life of its own. Anticipating that its form and content will change in ways we can’t even imagine.

Truly putting the user at the center. Building in public, listening first, iterating later.

Embracing chaos. Accepting that we can’t control the ocean of ones and zeros—only navigate it to reach our destination.

Taking it one step at a time, understanding that the perfection we envision in our minds isn’t a destination we’ll ever reach, but a path we must walk. Like a sculptor chiseling away at marble, starting with rough forms that hint at where the piece is going. Adding layer upon layer, more and more detail. It might sound contradictory, but embracing this free will of software can actually help us move much faster.

Like when we translated FitWoody into 34 languages in just a few hours with the help of AI. Had we insisted on absolute control over the result, we never would have considered using ChatGPT to translate the strings. Instead, we would’ve had to hire a translation agency, wait several weeks, and spend thousands of euros for the first version. And from there, every update would be delayed by days (at best) while waiting for new strings to be translated. Completely unfeasible for a small studio like ours. Of course, AI made mistakes—but nothing we couldn’t fix in a short time.

A New Breed of Programmers

I don’t know if they’ll be the infamous “Vibe Coders” or something else, but one thing is clear—the skills most valued in a programmer are about to change forever. Just like what happened to painting when photography was invented. Or to photography when Photoshop came along.

We’ll be more makers than coders. Knowing every framework inside out (if we ever did… cough Stack Overflow) will no longer be as important as having that hacker mindset—making the tools work for us to create agile solutions to real user problems.

We’ll still be highly technical, but we won’t waste time implementing the hundredth API endpoint. We’ll conduct the orchestra instead of playing every instrument ourselves. And the most valuable skill won’t be technical prowess, but the creativity to compose new symphonies.