The grief when AI writes most of the code

2026-01-07 · Source: The Pragmatic Engineer · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Software Development & Engineering · Depth: Intermediate, quick

Summary

The author reflects on the increasing role of AI in writing production-ready code, acknowledging that AI now generates code faster and with comparable or superior results, especially for less familiar languages and frameworks. This shift evokes a sense of loss, given the significant effort invested in mastering coding skills, including writing functional code, understanding complex codebases, and debugging. The author recounts the long journey of learning to code, from daunting university classes to years of professional practice, and the satisfaction derived from successfully building software. While recognizing AI's convenience, the piece explores the emotional impact of this technological advancement, questioning whether the "in the zone" feeling and the satisfaction of overcoming complex coding challenges will persist, or if the focus will shift to higher-level problem-solving through AI agent instruction.

Key takeaway

For software engineers grappling with AI's increasing role in code generation, recognize that your value may shift from raw coding output to higher-level problem-solving and AI instruction. Focus on developing skills in architecting solutions, refining AI prompts, and integrating AI-generated code effectively to maintain your impact and satisfaction in the evolving engineering landscape.

Key insights

AI's growing code generation capabilities are transforming software engineering, prompting reflection on the value of human coding skills.

Principles

• AI excels in code generation speed and quality.
• Mastering coding requires significant effort and practice.

Topics

• AI Code Generation
• Software Engineering
• Developer Experience
• AI Impact on Coding
• Future of Software Development

Best for: Software Engineer, AI Engineer, Director of AI/ML

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by The Pragmatic Engineer.