Thoughts on Codex

API
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I really enjoyed the Codex live stream today. Codex looks amazing!!! A huge thank you to the OpenAI team for another amazing model and API.

As a full-stack web developer that spends a lot of time writing boilerplate code on the front-end and CRUD code on the back-end, Codex looks to be a huge timesaver. I envision a lot less time spent searching through documentation, writing queries/ORM code, and building/validating forms. Sure, I have plenty of snippets in VS Code, but it’s never enough. I’d rather spend time writing business logic. I also see some great opportunities for Codex in education.

I would love to hear first impressions from other members of the community.

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Codex is a huge step in automation. I am very exited to see how it can help developers. Maybe some integration with Github Actions to test generated code or vscode extension. What a time to be alive!

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make sure to sign up to the waitlist !

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I also see great opportunities for Codex in programming education. Many people who started learning programming language, stopped at data structure mostly because they do not know where/how to use what they have learned. Codex will be able to give them ample opportunities to actually build something interesting with the knowledge they acquired.

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Definitely! I signed up for the waitlist earlier today … :crossed_fingers:

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Yes. At the lower grades, I’ve spent a lot of time working with students on block programming (e.g. Scratch, Block.ly) and I find their creativity is limited by the blocks and fundamental programming knowledge. Working in a Codex playground would be truly inspiring and a wonderful way to move beyond blocks and into real code.

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this might be useful - OpenAI API

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One resource I’d recommend is https://www.youtube.com/c/OpenAI/videos - In addition to the live stream, there are 8 other videos showing what can be made with Codex.

Otherwise the usage should feel very similar to GPT-3. People are discovering ingenious ways to write prompts to get different tasks done. We see few shot as well as zero shot with instructions giving good results.

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Thank you I already watched them all. Also there are more examples here:

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Hey if you combine this with my NLCA (Natural Language Cognitive Architecture) we could soon see an AGI that is capable of reprogramming itself. *skynet noises intensify*

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My kids really enjoyed the First Grade Math Test demo :grinning:!!

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To build on this discussion, Greg Brockman just posted a great article on the impact Codex will have on the no code movement and CS education.

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That’s what I wrote in the application :slight_smile:

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Yes. The AI’s thinking was so clear. The variable names showed that it understood just exactly what each quantity represented. And I wonder how the AI arrived at the correct mathematical equation for each word problem. It scares me a little to wonder, “Did the AI think?”

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IMHO, Codex(and its successors) has a bigger real-world implication than any simple text-generating AI.

Our world is increasingly connected and programmable with smart devices and APIs.

Combine that with an AI that can Code, we are in for an exciting ride ahead.

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I think that’s part of the beauty of the Codex model – it shifts the role of the programmer, without eliminating it. Back to the education example, this shift allows early programming education (no matter the age) to place more emphasis on computational thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving – away from just syntax – without sacrificing the value of hands-on coding experience. Since Codex can still make logic errors and use poorly named variables, you’re still actively participating in the programming process.

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Thoughts on Codex? At first I didn’t understand this, but the AI/Codex was actually a participant in the challenge today, wasn’t it?!! Just like the video of Codex taking and passing a first grade math test, yes? How amazing is that, that an AI just participated in a contest with human programmers?!! Feel like I was witnessing a little piece of history there. When I logged in, Codex was about halfway up the leader board. A lot of time was remaining. What was the final result, anyone know? What was Codex’s final standing in the leader board (compared to humans)?

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Sort of reminds me of when graphing calculators first came out in the 1980’s. At first, ppl worried that kids shouldn’t have them b/c they’ll stop thinking about doing math. But what I think actually happened imo was that the graphers enabled kids to think about math on a higher conceptual level. So maybe Codex will be like this for programmers?

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basically this… It’s not just about faster coding… with the ability to translate code into natural language and vice versa i think it could lead to a lot of innovation in complex system architecture - it is already trivial for AI to outcompete humans in our ability to find solutions to complex problems - Chess, GO, Mathematics, and with this revolution in coding, it is now not so much about finding the right solution to a problem, but finding the right problem

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Yes, I agree*.

*until the singularity arrives