At SQL Bits, I was chatting with Brent about a few things, including AI, which we think is changing the world. I’ve got my set of AI experiments going, and I do believe we will fundamentally alter work and how we use computers in the future.

Not sure if it’s for the better or worse, but things are changing and will change more.

Brent mentioned he was thinking about how a few years ago the “next great thing” was blockchain, which was going to change databases and storage, but never really caught on. I never thought it would as it seemed too niche-y for me.

What other great waves of tech have you seen over the years? I saw a prediction that data engineering will be dead in 5 years. I’ll take that bet. I’ve been hearing the DBA (or other data related positions) will be gone soon for over 25 years. I remember friends asking me if I was worried about my position after SQL Server v7 was released in 1998. I wasn’t then, and I’m not now. It seems there is more work than ever, though certainly the bar is higher for people doing the work.

You need to learn to be better at your job if you want some job security. That’s one reason I constantly push people to learn, improve, and show off ( consider #SQLNewBlogger posts) their skills. Employers want to know you’re providing value if they’re paying you $$ (or € or £ or ¥ or whatever).

There have been plenty of tech flops. Virtual/Extended/Augmented reality and various headsets haven’t quite taken off, though there is no shortage of new “AI powered” eyeglass products. Quantum computing still seems to be only slightly less fantastic than fusion energy. Voice control or gestures were supposed to make keyboards obsolete, but we still type a lot.

There are also some amazing things. Touch computing, especially on mobile, dominates. More and more digital payments are changing our commerce functions. Smartphones are essential devices for most people with apps available for anything and everything.

I do think GenAI will continue to change the world and how many of us work. This was an interesting talk on how AI changes work, not from a technologist per se, but from a writer. The GenAI models continue to improve, and I find them most useful in saving me minutes, not doing all my work. They are becoming more helpful, though slightly untrustworthy assistants. They are eager teenagers that can help, but need supervision and guidance.

And sometimes need to be abandoned for the current task and you need to do the rest of (or all of) the work.

What memories do you have of past “next great things? or maybe of what you see for the future?

Steve Jones

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