Stephane Dalbera: “The fantasy of programming in natural language didn’t emerge with Large Language Models; it’s been a topic of discussion for decades. It’s interesting to note that Edsger W. Dijkstra’s 1978 critique remains, in many aspects, highly relevant today.

In his paper titled “On the foolishness of ‘natural language programming’,” Dijkstra argued that the inherent ambiguities and imprecision of natural languages make them unsuitable for programming purposes. He emphasized the value of formal symbolisms in programming, stating that they are an effective tool for ruling out various forms of nonsense that are almost impossible to avoid when using natural language.

Dijkstra’s insights continue to resonate in contemporary discussions about the feasibility and desirability of natural language programming, especially in the context of advancements in AI and machine learning.

At a glance: The future will be unambiguous, or it will not be.” Link