Shavkat_Rakhmonov's blog

What's your motivation?
By Shavkat_Rakhmonov, history, 11 hours ago, In English

Hey guys,

what's your motivation to be involved in the CP? just like a hobby or do you have some other goals?

the reason why i am asking is that the current AI models are getting more and more powerful and eventually it will be the first and it's inevitable. So it's becoming like chess where it's mainly as a hobby.

However, the CP was considered more like something that is helpful for the job search etc. Although, the interviews are still coding related but don't you think it's demotivating when the AI can solve any of your problems you are attempting. What are your thoughts? Also, I am sure eventually the interview structure would change that adapts to the current environment

Imagine it's 2026

(it's sooner than you think with the current rate of progress)

The default AI model from the chatgpt has the rating of 3500+. A random 10 year old kid from let's say India can beat tourist in a codeforces contest through cheating since it's impossible to detect and prevent it entirely. The only credible way of having contests would be having a physical presence with the anti-cheating system. It's basically what's happening with the chess. Don't you think that it's concerning and doesn't it affect your motivation?

Even right now, I see the current o1-pro model can beat me easily and I guess there are folks who are cheating in the contests. Then, the accuracy and the meaning of your rating is decreasing a lot.

  • Vote: I like it
  • -1
  • Vote: I do not like it

»
11 hours ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -12 Vote: I do not like it

what do u think guys?

→ Reply
»
10 hours ago, # |
← Rev. 4   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

"just like a hobby or do you have some other goals?"

As a high schooler I'm doing this to become as cool as an anime Side character :)

But also because I like solving problems, interested in IOI, wants to build a capable mind and much more!

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    7 hours ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    As a high schooler, everything is pretty clear :)

    you want to become better and it's rewarding with olympiads etc.

    for folks who are in the industry for a while it's getting blurry a lot and at the end remains just like a hobby

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      6 hours ago, # ^ |
      ← Rev. 4   Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

      Looks like my future darker than I thought ;)

      Well, no point in thinking about it. We'll think about it when it happens.

      → Reply
»
10 hours ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Its a way I improve myself regardless of AI because I know theres a lot more to learn

→ Reply
»
9 hours ago, # |
← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it +4 Vote: I do not like it

For most Chinese schoolers like me there are 3 big motivations:

  1. Solving problems is interesting
  2. Getting a cool number (a.k.a. rating) to prove intelligence and gain confidence toward life.
  3. Compete in Olympiads and gain a medal to qualify for admission for good universities.

The improvement AI destroys none of the three above so it doesn't demotivate me. The only possible downside is cheaters who use AI might destroy the point 2 to some extent. But cheaters will always find ways to cheat, and AI doesn't increase the number of them, so it's fine.

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    7 hours ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    As a high schooler, everything is pretty clear :)

    you want to become better and it's rewarding with olympiads etc.

    for folks who are in the industry for a while it's getting blurry a lot and at the end remains just like a hobby.

    with the contests, imagine in a year there will be models competing on the 2700+ level and the rating itself would lose it's meaning unless it's happening with the physical presence. Otherwise, it's basically the same as in chess with it's "titled tuesdays" where Magnus is getting lost strongly by someone who is 2400

    → Reply
»
9 hours ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +6 Vote: I do not like it

I do it mostly because I enjoy it

→ Reply
»
7 hours ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Auto comment: topic has been updated by Shavkat_Rakhmonov (previous revision, new revision, compare).

→ Reply
»
5 hours ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +4 Vote: I do not like it

Just for fun. Practise if you enjoy it.

→ Reply
»
5 hours ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Gain Confidence and self-satisfaction in life

→ Reply
»
4 hours ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

As a freshmen I started with WebDev but i find it really boring than someone introduced me to cp and solving questions here is something i really like

→ Reply
»
4 hours ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

we do it for fun man

→ Reply
»
4 hours ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

A random 10 year old kid from let's say India can beat tourist

A random 10-year-old kid from Kazakhstan too :P

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    4 hours ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Yeah, if there is a model like that why not? Prove me that it will never happen, it's just a matter of time

    → Reply
»
4 hours ago, # |
← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Started with this goal. idk if this is true though 1. Helps to think creative and longer. 2. Helps in research 3. Improves problem solving 4. University admission?

Now i just want to become expert. it's like fight with myself .haha Also for fun too.

→ Reply
»
3 hours ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

Fundamentally, why is CP considered something helpful for job search? I can promise you that you don't use 98% of the CP knowledge in a real job, even if the interview is full of CP problems.

It's used because it is a strong signal that you're just overall smart. Perhaps with strong AI in CP your online ratings will be ignored for job purposes (honestly I'd say for adequate companies they are ignored now, too), but onsite performance or live interview performance still carries the same signal about your mental abilities.

Now if you believe AI will take over all software engineering jobs fully, then yeah, there's no reason to do this besides a hobby. But at the point where AGI fully replaces engineers, there's very little to do in the world that's not a hobby, AGI is just always going to be better and smarter than you at everything. At the end of the day, though, you don't know when proper AGI will clear the job market, and it's a very realistic possibility that we have a Codeforces LGM AI long before we have anything that does a decent job in a big legacy codebase, because of the difference in context. Might as well hedge for that.

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    3 hours ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    I think you are a bit exaggerating, if/when the AGI happens is unknown but 2700 model in the CP is already present, there is a difference.

    CP is not helpful for the job search but it can be helpful for the interview, especially for the top-tier companies. I am sure majority of the folks sitting on the coding websites are not doing it just for fun, trust me, even if they say otherwise in the comment sections.

    I got your point and you are right with the onsite performance part. However, what we know is that now or in the near future rating itself won't be a strong indicator of someone's CP abilities

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      3 hours ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      What I am saying is that for the top companies your CF rating is not particularly important even without AI. Before AI you could get boosted by a stronger friend or buy an account if you're that desperate. So what changes, exactly, job-wise? Maybe there are some crappier companies which filter by a fixed rating number, but I promise you that's not close to the top.

      Now things will change in the website culture itself. There will be people who get high rating using AI. But those changes are part of the "hobby" part. Obsessing over the number and the color is part of the hobby fun, not the job hunt.

      → Reply
»
3 hours ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +6 Vote: I do not like it

and I guess there are folks who are cheating in the contests

Spoiler
→ Reply
»
3 hours ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Idk tbh as coming from a Sophomore student.

I joined Codeforces as I liked its UI and I wanted a platform to practice my C++ as I mostly use Python on Leetcode.

And your(our) concern is valid tbh as I believe it can happen eventually and as a coming passout of 2027 all I can say is just pray for yourself and myself ;-;

→ Reply