Although tools like Claude Code have been around since 2024, it wasn't until mid-2025 that they truly reached a level of sophistication that would cause programmers to start changing the way they work. This forced many to reconsider how programming is changing and the long-term impact of AI on the software industry.
Today, AI is not only assisting in writing code but is also reshaping the programming experience in unprecedented ways.
Two opposing viewpoints within the programming community.
Modern AI programming tools like GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor, and Replit are offering many new capabilities. They can access entire projects, analyze related files, write large blocks of code, or even create entirely new files. Some systems even use inference models to break down tasks, process each part, and explain the workflow.
Furthermore, AI agents can call external tools, search the web, or automate multiple steps to complete a task. This makes AI a true 'colleague' rather than just a tool for suggesting code.
Although these tools are still imperfect and sometimes cause frustrating errors, they have clearly become a useful part of the modern software development process.
The development of AI in programming is generating two distinct viewpoints.
A group of programmers is enthusiastic about delegating much of their work to AI. They use AI to write code, review code, and even have multiple AI models collaborate. This approach is often called 'vibe coding,' where humans focus on ideas while AI handles implementation. As a result, they can develop software faster than ever before.
Conversely, many programmers view coding as a manual and creative profession. For them, the replacement of much of the coding process by AI makes the job less interesting and meaningful. Some are even considering leaving the industry as the programmer's role shifts primarily to writing prompts and testing results from AI.
In reality, most programmers fall somewhere between these two extremes. They embrace AI but remain concerned about their career prospects and the changes in the industry.
One of the biggest changes when programming with AI is the feeling of 'temptation'. While writing code, you know that AI can handle a part of the job in minutes instead of hours. This causes many programmers to gradually become dependent on AI, even when they could do it themselves.
However, this also raises many questions. Will excessive use of AI lead to a decline in individual skills? Will programmers become dependent on the tool? And is the use of AI truly sustainable when considering the social and environmental costs?
These questions currently remain unanswered.
The future of programming will change.
AI code assistants will almost certainly continue to exist and evolve. Even if AI models don't improve further, they will still be useful enough to change the way we program. This means that the work of programmers will change, though it won't completely disappear.
In the future, programmers may spend more time designing systems, solving complex problems, and making decisions, rather than writing every line of code.
Even though AI is changing the way we program, humans still play a crucial role. Factors such as creativity, strategic thinking, and contextual understanding remain human strengths.
It's important to learn how to adapt to new tools while retaining core programming skills.
AI is creating an entirely new programming experience. And like many technological revolutions before it, those who adapt fastest will be the ones who benefit the most.
You've just finished reading the article "A new programming experience in the AI era." edited by the TipsMake team. We hope this article has provided you with many useful tech tips and tricks. You can search for similar articles on tips and guides. Thank you for reading and for following us regularly.