To ask if I can code my tech product using AI? I don’t know how to code

[NeverSplitTheDifference]

Hello tech-mumsnet,

I have got a fab idea for a tech product in a field where I’m an expert. I’ve got an overview of the process but can’t code it.
I’ve got a young tech-literate business partner.
i don’t want to place the project in the hands of an unknown software developer.
i wondered if we are at the stage where I could create the prototype using just AI-generated code?
I realise that after creating the prototype I would need a development team but by that time I should have grant funding…

thank you

Depends how complex it is. At the minimum you would need an understanding of how to use an IDE, most likely Vscode, the basics of how to set up your environment, use the terminal, etc etc.

Then you'd need to work through your idea step by step with the AI.

Inevitably it's going to be hard going and time consuming, even if you use AI for every step along the way.

You could start by using one of the better models to give you a breakdown of all the steps involved and take it from there.

Honestly? While LLMs can generate code, what they churn out will depend on the quality of your prompts, and if you’re not a software developer you may not spot obvious hallucinations from the LLM, meaning that you aren’t guaranteed to be able to generate a working prototype that way.

You will probably also struggle to modify it if it doesn’t miraculously churn out the perfect thing first time around. Which it probably won’t.

You are better off looking at something like Figma to create a wireframe and use that as your prototype/proof of concept. Or pay a dev and make them sign a non-compete and non-disclosure agreement before they start work if you want to be sure of a professional job.

It's almost impossible to say on the information given, and massively depends on how complex and specific what you are trying to do is.

I don't think the chances that you can develop a market-ready, saleable software without knowing anything about writing software are high.

Putting it in the hands of an unknown developer will put you in a better place for building or debugging and future development than an ai which is made up from a whole host of unknown developers from the various websites it’s scraped and mashing it together in what it thinks should work.

Depends on how complex it is and what exactly you mean by a tech product. Even if it manages to write the code, you still need to know how to compile it (if needed), how to deploy it, how to make at least minimal changes.

You can get a fairly decent simple webpage or app quite easily. Anything more complex, you really need to know how to code to get it working.

Agreed. There's a perfectly standard way to deal with this, and it is... to hire a developer and have them sign the appropriate NDAs/noncompetes.

The short answer: No.

The long answer: Nooooooo.

”AI” coding tools can be somewhat useful, sometimes, for some purposes, once they are trained on the style of an individual programmer. But they can’t just independently write code for you. Your question shows a complete lack of understanding of everything that goes into creating a working prototype for even a simple software project. Which programming language do you want to use, and why? On which platform(s) will the software run? Do you want it to run on machines with different architectures? Will it need a GUI or will it run from the command line? If it has a GUI, who’s creating the visual assets? How will you create a robust framework to test the software? Who will fix any bugs you find? When you pitch for grant funding, you’ll need good answers to these questions (and many more).

This is why I love mumsnet :). Thanks for all those answers I will go Google them….

To fully conceptualise and present the concept, what I need is the equivalent of a huge blackboard where I can draw the worlds biggest spider diagram. Then rub bits out and put new bits in.

to give more information, I have mastery of a particular area of legal practice. I can see how what is currently presented as a high-status dark art could (through various iterations) be reduced to a series of self-help steps. Think UK government forms dealing with complex tax stuff -but as if a bunch of them were beautifully linked together…..

it’s a self-help tool for end users, bypassing lawyers or at least making the client an expert client in a field where small businesses and individuals are currently pretty helpless/paying through the nose for something that could be automated.

so right now I only need the code to prove the principle that the legal processes can be reduced to a system as I believe they can be…..