What's pix2code? AI that can create code from screenshots is a real threat to programming jobs

Danish startup Ulzard Technologies IVS is developing a path-breaking AI called pix2code that may require no human effort to write codes for software. The AI is self-programmed to build software codes based on just screenshots.

Unlike a manual coder who writes code for application from scratch, users only need to feed the AI with screenshots of what they want their program to look and function like and it will automatically generate code. What's more, pix2code can code for multiple platforms, such as Android, iOS, and web-based technologies -- something a living, breathing developer cannot do in one go even if she is fluent in multiple languages and platforms.

Founder Tony Beltramelli has shared details about the AI on GitHub and plans to make the source code available publicly later this year. It uses machine learning to create a neural network that can generate the codes.

As of now the pix2code can create codes with an accuracy of 77%, which is likely to improve as the algorithm learns more. That rate of success is far higher than what most human coders would achieve in one attempt.

The latest AI innovation may prove to be game-changing for the IT industry, and once again adds to the threat that human jobs face from robots.

A PWC report earlier this year indicated that a third of jobs in the US are at "high risk" of automation by the early 2030s. While jobs in manufacturing, food and retail are seen as the vulnerable ones, programs like pix2code could pose a high risk of human job losses to not just the IT industry but all other ancillary industries associated with it.