"Preparing Coders for Tomorrow: The Evolution of Code Comprehension in Generative AI”! Computer Science Faculty and IT Recruiters' Dilemma!

Dear Friends and Students,

This article is highly debatable, much like the age-old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first. Twenty-seven years ago, during my academic journey, I encountered a significant challenge. As part of a lab exam, we were tasked with writing a quicksort algorithm – a sorting technique used in computer programming to arrange numbers in ascending or descending order. While I understood the logic and could outline the steps in plain English, I struggled to pass the test case when it came to implementing it in C++. Regrettably, this remains a personal weakness to this day.

The mere recollection of that day still makes me break into a sweat. I grappled with the code, but the test case remained unyielding. Finally, in the last frantic 10 minutes, I transcribed the code onto paper and submitted it to the examiner. An anxious moment followed as she asked, "Will this code work?" My response, laden with uncertainty, ranged from "Yes" to "No" and "Maybe." Ultimately, I lost 15 marks due to my inability to memorize the syntax, even though I grasped the underlying logic and had written pseudo code.

It was this fear that led me to pursue a career in Pre-Sales at Wipro. However, my ability to comprehend and adapt others' well-written code to my context allowed me to excel in managing projects and even take on the role of Dev Manager. Nevertheless, if tasked with passing a test case in an examination-style coding assessment today, I might still falter. In fact, I have faced such failures in the past, and I am confident that many students studying computer science degrees share similar experiences.

The landscape of coding education is undergoing a profound transformation. Last year, when I boldly proclaimed at a conference that "Generative AI would write code in the future," I faced backlash. I also asserted that there is no need to teach "How to write code"; instead, we should focus on imparting "Code Comprehension Skills and Task Comprehension skills." These ideas were met with disagreement.

What may come as a surprise is the following statistic: "GitHub Copilot, an AI-powered code completion tool, is now being used to generate an average of 46% of the code that developers are writing. This marks a substantial increase from the 27% generated by Copilot in June 2022."

Copilot has gained popularity among over 1 million developers and has generated more than 3 billion accepted lines of code. With this rate of adoption, one must consider the necessary changes in programming education at universities and in the assessment tests for fresh graduates in coding contests.

If you visit codeium.com/playground, you can write a simple prompt (a problem statement in English), press "Enter," and watch as AI generates code for you. It supports coding in over 70 languages. In light of these developments, I propose a renewed focus when teaching and assessing computer science students:

Code Comprehension Skills (40%): This skill set involves reading and understanding code. It empowers students to maintain, extend, debug existing code, and craft new code that is efficient, reliable, and maintainable. Encourage students to read code regularly, practice coding with AI assistance, employ debugging tools (e.g., Codecheck), consult the documentation, and seek answers from AI tools like Bard, Bing chat, or ChatGPT.

Task Comprehension Skills (40%): These skills encompass understanding requirements, breaking tasks into manageable steps, and identifying the necessary data structures and algorithms.

Syntax and Writing Code (20%): The significance of syntax and writing code has evolved, with my recommendation being to reduce its weight to 20%. We are entering an era of Generative AI, where the emphasis shifts towards comprehension over rote memorization.

Does this approach make sense? Will it work? My intuition says, "Yes, it will!"

Best regards,

Ravi Saripalle

 

The Thirsty ChatGPT! Cultivate Responsible Prompt Engineering! Be Accountable for your Prompts and behind Water footprint!

Dear Friends and Students,

During a recent visit to a friend's home, I witnessed an interesting scenario. A 10-year-old boy was playfully engaging with ChatGPT, and his parents were thrilled to see him embrace this AI tool. While technology adoption is a positive development, I believe it's important to educate the entire family about a crucial aspect of these interactions.

In technical terms, our interactions with ChatGPT through the textbox are referred to as "prompts." In this instance, the boy asked a simple question, "How are you?" and received a response from ChatGPT: "I'm just a computer program, so I don't have feelings, but I'm here to help you with any questions or tasks you have. How can I assist you today?" This exchange was fun and entertaining, but it's essential to understand that for every 20-50 such conversations or prompts, ChatGPT consumes approximately half a litre of water.

What may surprise you is that ChatGPT's water consumption is related to the cooling of the data center machines that power the AI. In fact, Microsoft's global water usage increased by 34 percent from 2021 to 2022, reaching nearly 1.7 billion gallons (source: www.businesstoday.in).

It's not just ChatGPT; every AI-powered data center has a significant water footprint. Consider the numbers: Google Bard has about 1,00,000 daily active users, while ChatGPT boasts over 10 crore active users. Microsoft Bing Chat has an estimated 50,000 daily active users, Meta Llama 2 has around 25,000, Claude has roughly 10,000, and GitHub CoPilot has about 5,000 daily active users.

Starting with the estimated daily active users of ChatGPT and Bard, if each user generates an average of 10 prompts per day, the total number of prompts from these two engines alone would reach 130 million per day. Adding in prompts from other competitors like Microsoft Bing Chat, Meta Llama 2, Claude, and GitHub CoPilot, the daily total exceeds 135 million. To put this into perspective, 130 million prompts require a staggering 65,00,000 liters of water. Assuming an average person consumes 3 liters of water per day, this amount could sustain approximately 21,66,667 people daily.

I've been asked whether AI models like ChatGPT are sustainable. The answer is Yes/No, depending on the context. AI can be sustainable when used for vital tasks. For instance, when AI analyses medical images such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs to help doctors detect diseases like cancer, fractures, and neurological disorders, it greatly enhances healthcare accuracy and efficiency. However, we might consider delaying AI-powered meme generators, AI toys, and entertainment robots to reduce the water footprint. We can also postpone AI chatbots for casual conversations and AI virtual assistants for entertainment and convenience.

In conclusion, AI developers and users should be transparent about their products' water footprint. Users must be aware of the environmental impact of their choices. To address the water footprint of AI, developers, users, policymakers, and stakeholders must collaborate and take responsible actions.

Warm regards,

Ravi Saripalle

"Exploring India's Innovation Districts: Ravi Saripalle's Insights | SPRI International Research Event #12 - Watch on YouTube"

 Dear Friends

I have recently received an opportunity to represent India and advocate for the kind of work we do here on an international platform (SPRI Research Event #12: Governance of Innovation Districts: Building Tomorrow).

The Discussion Live is in YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvK4_aveeVI). My Thoughts on India Innovation District Perspective is present during 3 timeslots- 19:55 Mins - 26 Mins, 59 Mins to 1:08 Mins, 1:22Mins to 1:25Mins. You can watch it whenever you like.

Ravi Saripalle

From Roadside to Realization: The Street Dog's Message (04 Aug 2023)

Dear Friends and Students

Last week, as I was driving to my college, I witnessed an incident. Initially, I thought it was a simple matter, but I couldn't forget it easily. Eventually, I realized that it wasn't a trivial incident, but rather, an important lesson.

I halted at a 4-way traffic signal on a national highway. A lengthy queue of vehicles awaited signal clearance. My car (far right), a Road Transportation Corporation bus, a Mini Truck, and some bikers (far left) formed the front row, all facing the signal. Everyone earnestly watched the countdown on the traffic signal, which dropped to 3.

All of a sudden, a street dog began crossing from right to left. My heart raced as I saw the seconds ticking away. I eased off the accelerator, my eyes locked on the scene outside my window. Thankfully, the dog made it across just in time, and the countdown dropped to 2.

Out of nowhere, the dog darted under the bus, barely escaping the moving tires. Showing incredible agility, it managed to get past the bus.

This incident echoed in my mind. In a real scenario, even the fastest dog breed (Greyhounds, known for their incredible speed of up to 45 mph) cannot be saved in a single second. Understanding the sequence, as the countdown approached 1 second, it exerted itself, showcasing its utmost ability to cross the bus. As the surrounding vehicles began to hum, it cried out for help. The driver's act of stopping the vehicle and allowing it to pass was an act of mercy.

I've always been captivated by inspirational talks and success quotes. However, every time we cannot depend on our ability and self-confidence. In this instance, the dog not only exerted tremendous effort to cross but also called out for help. It's a reminder of the driver's compassionate response, a manifestation of divine intervention, prompting him to halt the vehicle.

True success lies in the combination of "Give Your Best and Seek God's Help". If a dog were to think it could cross the road solely based on its own abilities, without acknowledging the role of God, it would be mistaken.

Why am I sharing this story today? Many students are beginning their first year across the nation. IIT Guwahati has made one-to-one mental well-being counseling mandatory for fresh BTech students (Economic Times, Aug 03, 2023). This initiative recognizes the fierce competition and challenges students to face and aims to ensure the mental well-being of newly enrolled BTech students.

Students should understand that we all have limitations. God has bestowed us with intelligence, comfort, and strength. In this hierarchy, there is always someone above our capabilities. It's important to appreciate what we have and move forward with contentment. However, a word of caution: if you embrace this principle without putting in hard work and effort, God's support might not be forthcoming.

Fulfill Your Responsibilities and Pray for Assistance When Needed!

Ravi Saripalle  

Embracing the Flame: Raghu Prakash's (GVPCE 2019-23) Inspirational Journey into IIT Bhubaneswar Thermal Engineering

Dear Friends and Students

Heart-touching story of our student! I am also equally happy to read and share this story that I could do my little squirrel’s support in this boy’s journey.

When the air passes into the lungs, you experience obstruction and make a peculiar sound, which is called a hiccup. The best way to stop hiccups is to drink a glass of cold water. Don’t stop eating the food! It makes them malnourished.

Best wishes Raghu!

Get Inspired!

Ravi Saripalle

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I am Raghu Prakash (2019-23, Dept of Mechanical Engineering, GVPCE).

Let me share my family background before I share my little success today.

Hope you are all aware of Duck Syndrome: What's Beneath the Water? Duck Syndrome refers to that image of a duck we see effortlessly gliding across the water. However, what we can’t see is that, under the water, that same duck is ferociously paddling to maintain its graceful appearance.

My Father’s name is Shri. Sanny Babu L. He works as a Lorry Driver. My mother’s name is Smt. L Eswaramma. She is a housewife. I have one sister. They are all my life. My father has been facing a lot of struggles in educating us. My father played a crucial role in my life though he is having great hardship in his professional journey. Both my parents are illiterates but they value Education. My mother is my Inspiration. She is a firm believer in learning outcomes. She constantly tells us that learning outcomes will pay back in her language. Having said that surprisingly, they never asked for my marksheets in the school or college. They trusted me all the time.

Let me share my passion in Life.

From a young age, I had a passion for cricket, and it became a central part of my school days. Whether it was playing with friends during breaks or participating in inter-school tournaments, cricket was my favorite pastime. I honed my skills and dedication to the sport, and it became an integral part of my identity.

As I progressed through the grades, my love for cricket only grew stronger. I joined the school cricket team and had the opportunity to represent my school in various competitions. The thrill of stepping onto the field, feeling the bat in my hands, and the camaraderie with my teammates became the highlight of my school life.

Beginning of my Professional Education

As I approached class 12, it was time to make some important decisions for my future. While cricket remained a significant part of my life, I also recognized the value of formal education. With guidance from my well-wishers, I decided to pursue a B.Tech degree in a field that aligned with my interests and strengths.

Twist in my Decisions

However, there is a wind blow in my life. After a lot of deep-dive thinking, one day I decided to leave my B. Tech in my very first semester itself because I was not able to develop much appreciation towards Mechanical Engineering. I felt tough to complete this course! I felt I was not capable of engineering itself. Beyond that, I am more interested in Mathematics. Hence, I decided to pursue a mathematics-based Degree.

At this hour, one of my family friends (Vara Prasad M, Systems Engineers, Data Center, GVPCE) intervened in my decision for a good cause. He persuaded me to continue and took me to Dr. Ravi Saripalle Sir (Center for Innovation and Incubation, GVPCE). Sir guided me a lot and shared a lot of motivational stories to convince me to continue my Engineering. Finally, I was swayed to pursue my degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Never Lookback in Preparation

From then, I became serious about my studies. I took it to heart. Cricket became secondary to my list. I started seriously preparing for the GATE Exam from my Sixth Semester onwards. Finally, I qualified for the GATE 2023 Examination. I applied to all IITs and NITs for MTech Admission.

Initially, I got an offer from NIT Rourkela (Thermal Engineering). Later I got another offer from IIT Bhubaneswar (Thermal Science and Engineering). Finally, I selected IIT Bhubaneswar and will join this campus shortly. I am now wishing and aspiring to become a good Thermal Engineering Researcher!

Though I moved away from playing cricket at a competitive level, the lessons I learned from the sport continue to shape my character and approach toward life. Now, as I embark on my MTech journey, I carry the same dedication and passion that made me a cricket enthusiast.

My story, from childhood to pursuing a B.Tech degree, is a testament to the power of following one's passions while embracing the opportunities that come with education and personal growth. I look forward to the new experiences and challenges that await me in the next phase of my life

I know it is not a great achievement and not claiming it as well, however, like me there are so many friends struggling either financially or emotionally or intellectually or all together. If this small story helps them to sail through, I am really happy. It adds more responsibility to me to do my best in my MTech at IIT Bhubaneswar. If I have hurt any sentiments through my story, I sincerely apologize.

Raghu Prakash

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Guardians of the Planet: The Emergence of Chief Heat Officers and Climate-Centric Education- Read my Perspective

 Dear Friends and Students

One of my friends shared an article on the appointment of Chief Heat Officer (CHO) for Bangladesh! It is not a new role altogether, but an interesting role in the times we are living in! I am writing this article when the whole of India is experiencing a cloudburst and now, I am witnessing heavy rain outside my room.

You might be wondering why only Chief Heat Officer? Why should also have Chief Cold Officer (CCO), Chief Rain Officer (CRO), etc.? The day is not far!

You should know that heat is killing more people than any other climate-driven hazard. Extreme heat costs $100 billion to the U.S. economy. A quarter of the income is lost because of extreme heat (Harvard Public Health) for workers working outside New Delhi. Heat is making cities inhospitable, as buildings and roads absorb and trap it.

As a consequence, seven cities around the world have recently appointed these leaders, with Miami being the first in June 2021 (fastcompany.com). Now you understand the importance!

Chief Heat Officers are generally appointed at a city level to tackle issues locally. Bushra Afreen, first in the post not just in Bangladesh but in Asia appointed by international think-tank, Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Centre (Arsht-Rock) (tbsnews).

While we are worried about the potential impact of AI in the future, at the same time, we also need to be super worried about climate change. I am sure, the new jobs like Chief Urban Reforestation Officer to cool the city, Chief Hurricane Preparedness Officer, etc. are the future jobs!

How does it impact Education? While we are introducing advanced topics like AI-ML, Deep Learning, Data Science, and Robotics, etc. in Education, similarly, the time has come to revive the old courses on Energy Management, Heating Systems and Infrastructure, Thermal Efficiency, Heat Recovery Systems, etc. This time not in the way we taught 100 years in the traditional roof-top four-wall Classroom but classes to be taught under the sun, in the rain, and during cold winters as part of the field work. We should prepare them for future living. They need to either build sustainable solutions or prepare themselves for future conditions!

Nature Publication (the world’s top journal) announced a faculty position for Carbon Neutrality and Climate Change Thrust, at Hong Kong University.  The job description says,” The Carbon Neutrality and Climate Change (CNCC) Thrust at HKUST(GZ) aims to address key national priorities, train the next generation of leaders who face global challenges of climate change, seize opportunities of the new industrial revolution, and develop technical, institutional and policy solutions for a shared sustainable future.” This is just the beginning! Every University should recuperate their old departments in these lines!

If we discuss Chief Heat Officer in this Rainy Season, we don't need to create Chief Rainy Officer during Winter Season! Hope You Got the essence!

Ravi Saripalle

From Departments to Domains: Adapting Engineering Education for the Software-Driven Era- My Perspective

Dear Friends and Students

Today I had an opportunity to listen to the Message of Ford CEO on Alvin Foo's Twitter Handle (twitter.com/alvinfoo/status/1680019471254315008).

I recommend you should listen to this 1.5-minute perspective. Though he is talking about Ford Vehicle Automation Scenario, I am seeing this from an Engineering Education Impact perspective.

Foo Tweet says, “Ford CEO explains why legacy car manufacturers cannot compete with Tesla in software (or make good software). This is the same reason why many of them will eventually go out of business, the disruption is real and they are simply unable to transform fast enough vs Tesla and the new Chinese EV makers.”.

Ford CEO says, their car module consists of 150+ modules developed by tens of software companies. As it is legacy code, these car companies have to take permission from these vendors to modify and make it an interoperable module. However, Tesla or any other EV vehicle is developing their own brand-new software for the Car and gaining a competitive advantage!

If we decode this problem deep into various other domains and corresponding education changes, it is going to be an eye-opener. A day is going to be near that what we teach in the classroom (e.g., Internal Combustion Engines) is no more relevant! For e.g., as you are all aware, Norway is the trailblazer in ending the reign of ICE vehicles, with only zero-emission new vehicles either battery electric or hydrogen to be sold from 2025. I am sure Norway's Mechanical Engineering departments might have to phase out their syllabus and change their curriculum completely. Eventually, the same case with all Mechanical Engineering departments across the world.

 If 3D printing becomes the norm, that means that there will be even more demand for chemical engineering, however, there would be new materials and fabrication techniques being developed. Again, there would be an impact on the Curriculum. It becomes software/automation-enabled Chemical Engineering.

Engineering Automation companies like Siemens, ABB, Emerson, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, Honeywell, Mitsubishi, Yokogawa Electric, Omron Automation, Danaher Industrial Ltd, etc approach towards automation is mind-blowing. Their JDs are already demanding 50% domain expertise, and 50% software expertise to automate their engineering processes.

Dear Friends, from In Engineering Software Perspective, control engineering to automation to computer science are slowly merging (Industry 4.0), resulting in Trans-Disciplinary Engineering Education!

The boom for software continues however in my view, Engineering Education is not going to be based on Departments (CSE, ECE, EEE, CHEM, MECH, CIVIL) in the future! It would be called as Energy, Automobile, Control & Safety Systems, Design & Operations Software, Industrial Robots, Industrial Automation and Test and Measurement Solutions, Life science, environmental, etc. Each of these Domains needs to teach specific domain knowledge, electrical, electronics, software specific to that process, and automation process as part of the curriculum.

I am sure, It demands the overhaul of the entire process change right from the policy definition, regulatory approvals, restructuring of the department, faculty recruitment/re-training of the existing, infrastructure in the institutions (industry and institutions together operate the course), Labs delivery (more labs, less theory, more internships, more field works), examination grading (no traditional assessment, more assignment driven), recruitment (internships based), entrance examinations (domain interest-based general awareness questions and aptitude), etc

If these predictions are right, I am sure this change would take place in less than 5 years!

As Ford's CEO mentioned for Vehicles, similarly the traditional mindset driven colleges extinct. Progressive colleges would survive.

My Past Personal Experience

Back in 2010, I quit Wipro to start campaigning for the Centre for Innovation in Schools and Colleges. People laughed at me for the decision and concept in Schools and Engineering Colleges/Universities. Back in 2010, hardly there were any colleges with the Centre for Innovation.

I sent proposals to all stakeholders like right from the President of India, PMO, every CM, Secretaries, all colleges and schools Principals, DEOs, etc. That time the response was weak. Today as we are talking on July 2023, we have a Centre for Innovation and Incubation in every University/Institution, we have IIC clubs in every college, and Atal Tinkering Labs in the majority of the schools. With the same time operated conviction, I am confident that Departments would change to Domains in the future Colleges!

Time to Think!

Ravi Saripalle