Is Programming Ending? The Future of Developers in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Is Programming Ending or Entering a New Era?

One of the most discussed questions in recent years is whether programming is coming to an end. With artificial intelligence now capable of writing code, many people wonder if the software developer role will disappear. The question is valid, but the answer is clearer than it seems.

Today, AI code generation tools can produce in minutes what a human might take months to learn and build. While this significantly increases speed, it also introduces serious risks: security vulnerabilities, weak architecture, and long-term maintainability issues. Speed exists, but quality is not always guaranteed.

Why Artificial Intelligence Cannot Replace Developers

At this exact moment, an important example emerged. A company owning one of the most powerful AI code-generation models acquired bun JavaScript, a modern JavaScript runtime. The project is fully open source, meaning anyone can inspect its code and internal structure.

This raises an obvious question: if artificial intelligence can do everything, why wasn’t this system built entirely by AI?

The answer is simple. Current AI models do not think. They do not perform real software engineering. They calculate probabilities. Designing system architecture, analyzing real-world constraints, and building long-lasting infrastructure still require human experience.

That is why the company didn’t just acquire the project - they also hired the engineers behind it. This alone explains a lot about the future of programming.

What Is bun and Why Is It So Fast?

In the traditional JavaScript ecosystem, developers use separate tools for different tasks. bun challenged this approach by combining multiple functionalities into a single system.

It re-implemented ESBuild’s logic using Zig, a low-level, high-performance language that operates close to the processor. This resulted in:

• extremely high performance,
• small binary size,
• modern and stable architecture,
• multiple features executed with a single command.

This is why bun quickly reached millions of downloads and became a strong indicator of the technology future.

Programming Is Not Disappearing - It Is Automating

The real truth is clear: programming is not ending. It is evolving. Repetitive tasks are increasingly handled through automation, allowing developers to focus on higher-level thinking and creativity.

Software today exists far beyond phones and computers:

• cars,
• smart homes,
• household appliances,
• industrial machines.

This does not reduce demand for developers - it expands it. The need for skilled professionals continues to grow.

The Future Means More Software, Not Less

New technology categories are emerging: smart glasses, mixed reality devices, robotics, and next-generation gaming platforms. Each of these creates entirely new software domains.

Current artificial intelligence systems lack real-world context and live data, making them unable to independently build these systems. Humans experiment, fail, adapt, and innovate. True innovation comes from this process.

Conclusion

The way we write code may change. We may rely on visual systems or entirely new programming paradigms. In the future, we may even develop software for quantum or biological technologies.

But one fact will remain unchanged: new systems will always be built by humans who adapt to innovation.

Artificial intelligence is not a threat - it is a powerful tool. Developers who learn to use it effectively will shape the future.

Learning programming today remains one of the most valuable skills for tomorrow.