I started thinking about English as a programming language—what does that mean practically? As a believer in polyglot programming, I choose languages based on available libraries: #Kotlin with #SpringFramework, #Python with hashtag#LangChain, #DotNet for Microsoft technologies. My goal is to quickly capture ideas before they’re lost.
With English becoming a programming language, I worry about library support. Existing examples are often untested and model-dependent, leaving me with just the base language. Being a native English speaker helps, but I hadn’t considered what kind of programming language English is.
Initially, I thought English might be Object-Oriented since we have nouns and verbs—like objects and methods in #OOP. But this analogy falls short. English is fluid and context-dependent, unlike OOP’s rigid structures.
I then considered procedural programming, as we often give step-by-step instructions. Yet, when interacting with #AI, we focus on the end goal, not detailed steps.
Functional programming didn’t fit either; English isn’t about immutability or pure functions.
I even pondered logic programming like #Prolog, but everyday English goes beyond strict logic.
Then it hit me: English is fundamentally a declarative language. In #DeclarativeProgramming, you specify what you want, not how to achieve it. Telling an AI, “Book me a flight to Tokyo next Monday,” states intent—the what—and relies on the AI to handle the how.
This realization addresses my concerns about libraries. In English and AI, the “libraries” are the AI models—their training data and capabilities. As models advance, they expand the “functions” we can invoke through natural language.
By embracing English as a declarative language, we leverage its strengths: expressiveness, flexibility, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. We focus on goals and let the AI execute them.
This means we need to craft precise, unambiguous statements. Like writing effective #SQL queries, communicating with AI demands clarity.
So, while English shares traits with various programming paradigms, its role with AI aligns most closely with declarative programming. This empowers us to communicate more effectively with AI systems, focusing on what we want and trusting the AI to handle the how.
Recognizing English as declarative guides us to:
- Express clear intentions: Be specific without unnecessary details.
- Leverage AI capabilities: Trust the AI to fill gaps.
- Iterate and refine: Adjust statements if needed.
This aligns with my polyglot programming philosophy: choosing the right tool and focusing on productivity. Viewing English as declarative lets us swiftly move from idea to execution, in theory. Stick around as I try to test this thought over the next couple weeks.