One of the mysteries currently captivating public opinion is the one posed by this revolution, which promises consequences far greater than those of the storming of the Bastille in 1789, and even more significant than those brought to the labor market by the steam engine.
As with those historical events, similar processes are challenging to measure except from a temporal distance. However, the transformative potential already visible suggests a before and after in the destiny of humanity.
The desire to understand more about what this technology is and its potential impact led us to interview a developer with extensive professional experience:
Diego Castruonuovo is an Electronic Engineer from the National Technological University (Universidad Tecnológica Nacional), graduating in 2002. He has worked professionally in embedded systems development, software, and cloud infrastructure services. His career includes roles at companies such as Hitachi Data Systems, Sonda Argentina, and Semperti, among others.
Currently, he leads the product development and AI infrastructure team at N5 Now. Indeed, he is dedicated to the development of artificial intelligence at a company that is a leader in the software industry and was recently recognized with an award from Microsoft for the best digital innovation platform.
How would you define Artificial Intelligence in a few words?
Artificial Intelligence is a technology that enables machines to learn and make decisions to automate complex tasks that typically require human intelligence. In short, it aims to make machines reason like humans.
What does an AI developer do?
Generally, an AI developer designs and implements systems based on Artificial Intelligence. They create solutions to common problems using these technologies.
Do you know how this “new science” began?
It started back in the 1950s when Alan Turing proposed that machines could reason and learn. His famous Turing Test laid the philosophical foundations of AI. Its history has seen periods of growth and stagnation. However, around 2010, with the rise of cloud computing and increased computing power, AI began to expand rapidly.
In 2020, ChatGPT was introduced to the general public, sparking a phenomenon of rapid adoption—the fastest-growing tool in technology history in terms of user growth.
Nowadays, AI is discussed daily and in many fields, and many of us can’t imagine working without it as an aid and complement.
Can you give us three examples of how this tool is being used?
Currently, generative AI—which creates new content like text, images, and audio—is particularly popular with the general public. From this, solutions to existing problems are built, such as:
- Customer service agents using voice: They speak like humans and interact with customers over the phone just as a human would.
- High-quality audiovisual content creation and editing.
- Automatic software development: It helps developers in their daily tasks, speeding up coding and reducing costs.
What do you think about dystopian concerns that see dark clouds on the horizon due to this technology?
Most concerns revolve around employment displacement by AI, security, and the potential emergence of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), which would equal or even surpass humans in all activities. Major players are actively working on this.
- Regarding job displacement: I see it as a change in the human role in the workforce. AI will gradually automate and improve many tasks currently performed by humans in all sectors. It will be a reconfiguration of the job market, much like the Industrial Revolution. There will be new opportunities and challenges, and people will need to adapt and learn to work alongside AI.
- In terms of security: I believe the concerns are legitimate. Governments should establish policies to ensure the responsible development and use of AI, including strong regulations on data collection and usage. Like any powerful tool, if misused or placed in the wrong hands, AI could cause significant harm.
- Regarding AGI: The fear that a superintelligent AI could go out of control and harm humanity is real, but I believe we’re still far from achieving it due to the current limitations in architecture and our incomplete understanding of human cognition.
How long does it take to develop a project like the examples you provided?
Even with frameworks and tools that assist in development—including AI itself—AI projects generally follow a similar logic to traditional software projects. Any medium-complexity project can take more than 6 months to reach a production-ready state.
How often do AI projects need updates or modifications?
There is no strict rule, as updates depend heavily on the specific type of project and its industry. AI projects share some principles with traditional software projects but also have unique aspects.
Is there any repository or “AI Library” where AI creations are stored?
There is no official registry dedicated to this, but several platforms are used to share models, implementation examples, and source code, serving as collaborative repositories. Examples include Kaggle and Hugging Face.
How do you think this rapid AI boom will impact the job market?
I see it as a new “Industrial Revolution”—the AI Revolution. The job market will be reconfigured, and many tasks, not just low-complexity ones, will inevitably be handled by AI. For now, only jobs requiring 100% manual human intervention will remain untouched.
People will need to learn to coexist and work with AI, supervise it, and add value where AI cannot.
What is the biggest challenge a developer might face when working on an AI project?
The first challenge is finding a real business solution to apply the project. After that, the most significant technical challenge is developing a solution that meets the requirements for production—moving from “academic” concepts and “tutorials” to professional-grade code that can be used by clients.
What work have you done or are you currently doing for N5 Now? In what state is it?
At N5, I lead the Artificial Intelligence team, which focuses on developing the cognitive technologies of our product.
We call them Alfred, PEP, and Singular—the intelligent components of our tool that help users with their daily tasks, train them, and improve their productivity. The goal is to make users the best version of themselves.
Every day, we work on various features of these technologies to enhance customer satisfaction.
What’s the next goal for N5 in terms of AI (non-confidential)?
Our objective is to develop cutting-edge financial solutions aimed at enhancing the user experience, improving productivity, reducing costs, and increasing sales for businesses.
We are convinced that using AI is no longer optional—there is no other viable alternative.
What do developers mean when they talk about a system’s “Architecture”?
The “Architecture of a system” refers to all the design decisions that directly impact its maintenance and evolution.
The measure of design quality is the effort required to add features and make changes to meet client needs. If this effort remains low, the architecture is good; otherwise, the chosen architecture is poor.
What is the key requirement to pursue a career in AI development?
A strong desire to work with promising technologies that are still in their early stages of development. Curiosity and a continuous learning mindset are essential because AI evolves rapidly, requiring constant updates.
What advice would you give to a young person interested in this field?
- Be creative and come up with new ideas.
- Study and get trained—stay informed and learn from the best.
- **Practice coding—**a lot.
Editora: Gisela Colombo
