The new code
At a recent AI engineering conference, OpenAI researcher Sean Grove argued the industry's evolution is increasingly driven by structured communication in English, clearly documented as part of the development process.
"The most valuable skill isn't writing code - it's communicating intent with precision," This shift positions specifications —which communicate intents and values— rather than prompts or code, as becoming a key aspect of programming.
A written specification enables alignment between humans and artificial intelligence by ensuring outputs of AI reflect original intentions. It becomes the foundation for discussion, debate, reference and synchronisation across teams. However, writing specifications that fully capture intent and values is a less developed skill for many involved in software development.
Source: Grove, S. ‘The New Code — Sean Grove, OpenAI.’ Presentation at AI Engineer World’s Fair.
OpenAI's Model Spec is one example. It’s a living document outlining intended behaviour for models powering their products such as ChatGPT. Simply a plain text file available open source on GitHub, it enables collaboration across the entire organisation: product teams, legal, research, engineering and policy departments can all contribute.
Drawing from production experience, Grove explains how rigorous, versioned specifications serve as the single source of truth that compiles to documentation, evaluations, model behaviours and potentially even code itself.
For example, a parallel that can be drawn is the US Constitution, which acts as a versioned specification with judicial review as its grader. This "constitutional programming" approach treats specifications as foundational documents that govern system behaviour.
The implications extend beyond AI development. As software systems become more complex and collaborative, the ability to articulate intent clearly in structured English may prove more valuable than traditional coding skills. This evolution suggests a future where programming success depends less on technical syntax mastery and more on the capacity to communicate complex requirements with precision and clarity.
Source: Grove, S. ‘The New Code — Sean Grove, OpenAI.’ Presentation at AI Engineer World’s Fair.