Will English rule machine-to-machine communication? Mayank Kumar to demystify the future of coding at ET Soonicorns Summit 2024

In this era of technological transformation, the boundaries between human communication and machine interaction are blurring faster than ever, and one of the most pressing questions is whether future developers will speak to machines in human languages ​​like English or whether we are on the verge of a paradigm shift, where code will become as natural as spoken language.

This thought-provoking topic will be the focus of a fireside chat with Mayank Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO, upGrad, during the much-awaited ET Soonicorns Summit 2024, taking place on September 20 in Bengaluru.

With the theme of the summit being ‘From Resurgence to Resilience’, this session will offer practical insights on how startups and developers can recalibrate for the future. Taking place on September 20 in Bengaluru, the event will feature other industry stalwarts like Hari Menon, Aman Gupta, Prayank Swaroop, Sangeeta Bavi, Umakant Soni, among others, who will engage in dialogues on the changing funding landscape, building businesses through strategic reinvention, and the technologies of tomorrow.

However, to fully understand the relevance of Kumar’s fireside chat, we must first understand the role of English in today’s programming world. English has long been the default language for most programming languages, be it Python, Java, C++, or JavaScript. From syntax to function names and even documentation, English is deeply embedded in the linguistic architecture of software development.

This widespread use of English in programming has largely broken down language barriers, considering that today English has been described as the “fastest expanding language in human history.” It is spoken by an estimated 1.75 billion people worldwide, that is, one in four of us. The count includes both native speakers and speakers from post-colonial parts of the world. English is also increasingly becoming a global corporate lingua franca. Interestingly, two Indian languages ​​make it into the top 10 most spoken languages ​​in the world: Hindi and Bengali.

This is a widely documented technology that has democratized the English language by allowing developers around the world to collaborate regardless of their native language. However, this is especially true when viewed from the perspective of English-speaking nations and raises some questions, particularly in multilingual countries like India, where a large portion of the population may not be fluent in English.

In India, which is home to one of the world’s largest pools of tech talent, the dominance of English in programming has raised questions around accessibility. Does this mean that only English speakers can effectively become developers, or are we moving towards a future where natural language processing (NLP) technologies allow developers to “code” in their native languages? If developers could communicate with machines in languages ​​such as Hindi, Tamil, Kannada or Bengali, it would not only make technology more accessible, but could also drive innovation by unlocking a much larger talent pool. On the other hand, relying solely on English could reinforce existing barriers and limit opportunities for non-English speakers in the tech space. Kumar’s topic delves into this potential future, asking whether we are ready for a shift from programming languages ​​to natural language interactions with AI. It also raises an important question for India’s diverse linguistic landscape: As AI evolves, will it eventually enable developers to bridge the language gap, or will English remain a gatekeeper to innovation?

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What to expect from Fireside Chat?

Kumar’s session, titled ‘The Future of Learning: Will Future Developers Speak English to Machines?’, is much more than a speculative thought experiment – ​​it is a serious investigation into the changing role of education and the skills required in a world being reshaped by AI-led disruptions.

• The emerging trend of natural language processing (NLP): Experts suggest that traditional computer programming could eventually evolve into something more intuitive, where developers use NLP to interact with machines in the same way we communicate with each other.
• A startling shift: If developers start communicating with machines in human languages, the future of software development could undergo a major transformation. Learning to code in Python or JavaScript could be replaced by learning to train AI systems to answer queries in English, Hindi, or any other language.
• Will this transformation require an overhaul of education systems, a topic Kumar will elaborate on during his informal talk?
• Insights on the mindset shift in upskilling: from an option to a critical necessity to remain relevant. Will tomorrow’s workforce need a radically different set of skills than we see today?
• The importance of building an AI-savvy workforce that not only understands the technical aspects of AI, but also its ethical and social impacts. As AI systems become more powerful, issues of accountability, transparency, and bias become even more important.

The developer of the future, it seems, will not just be someone who writes code: it will be someone who can collaborate with AI to create innovative solutions that are both effective and ethical.

ET Soonicorns Summit 2024: From Resurgence to Resilience
Kumar’s fireside talk is just one of the many high-impact sessions lined up for the ET Soonicorns Summit 2024. Themed “From Resurgence to Resilience,” this year’s summit is designed to help startups navigate the next phase of growth in a world that has been fundamentally reshaped by technology and the pandemic.

With a core message urging startups to “Recalibrate, Recover and Reinvent”, the summit will also feature other prominent industry figures including Hari Menon (Co-Founder, BigBasket), Aman Gupta (Co-Founder, boAt) and Prayank Swaroop (Partner, Accel) who will discuss the future of startups and their role in India’s burgeoning digital economy. The third edition of the summit will bring together investors, soonicorn founders and industry experts to share insights, strategies and roadmaps to thrive in an AI-led post-pandemic world.

In addition to Kumar’s session, panels will cover critical topics such as scaling through AI, overcoming the funding winter, and addressing the huge opportunities that India offers in sectors such as fintech, software as a service (SaaS), climate tech, clean tech, and electric vehicles, among others. The launch of the “ET 50 Future Unicorns of Karnataka” report, in collaboration with Tracxn, will highlight the state of Karnataka’s most promising startups, offering an insight into the innovations that are shaping the future.

ET Soonicorns Summit 2024 is powered by Phoenix Kessaku and has UpGrad Enterprise as the Training Partner; PolicyBazaar for Business as the Insurance Partner; Bank of India as the Banking Partner; and IGP.com, The Mind and Company, Plum, and Clay Capital as the Donation Partners.

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