A few weeks ago, I made a statement about I will stop writing articles until I finish my book. I think every rule stronger if we make exceptions. Here is my exception which I make with this article!
Let's jump into the middle of the story! I made a conclusion about the Enterprise Architect role will be first replaced by AI! Why? Let me describe it!
This week I found a fascinating article!
https://research.fb.com/publications/unsupervised-translation-of-programming-languages/
Facebook is investigating a field of automated translation between languages. Similar like they made a breakthrough in natural language processing. They can autonomously translate between languages. They touch languages like COBOL. How this comes to Enterprise architects?
Think about a corporate environment where they are in the middle of a massive transformation from monolith systems to microservice-based architecture. If we think about this process, Enterprise Architects can synthesize the components into a minimal set, and they decide which microservice or department has the most similarities for the wished functionality. But how can they remember and process a million lines of codes? How can they be familiar with all functionalities?
And be the advocate of the devil! How can they do this in a multicultural company group where the local codes commented with local languages?
I think this is the case when we call Ethan Hunt and Mission Impossible force. But that's the complexity where AI could help!
Imagine the beautiful world where you have all the source codes of your solutions! You can easily find the potential pieces which can act as a unique microservice. Like with the ZIP algorithm and other compressions, similar patterns can be extracted as common microservice. Imagine if you want to replace a system and AI able to estimate how much system functionality already exists in microservices. How faster you can replace the legacy?
With a human workforce, this is an impossible mission!
But how about the Enterprise architects? One group of them will still find jobs at companies that are stuck to commercial closed source solutions! The terrible news these companies will fail on cost efficiency!
The open-minded of these architects will move into a business analyst role. That position still has validity in the AI age; however, they will heavily rely on AI help. Their work is similar to what Rice University created on an AI-based programmer prototype.
With this article, I want to emphasize the importance of the 3 R strategies - relearn, recalibrate, and renaissance.