Programming in 2026: excitement, dread, and the coming wave (amontalenti.com)

In 2026, the programming landscape has dramatically transformed due to the rapid adoption of tools like Claude Code, which enable "agentic coding." This advancement allows programmers to generate complex codebases using natural language prompts, significantly altering traditional coding practices. While this shift sparks excitement over the ease and speed of software development, it also raises concerns among programmers about the future of their roles, leading to fears that their expertise may become obsolete or relegated to overseeing AI models rather than writing code. The significance for the AI/ML community lies in the broader implications of this tool's emergence, which suggests that software development may no longer rely solely on coding skills. As major companies scramble to implement AI strategies, the traditional pathways of programming education are already seeing declines in enrollments, creating uncertainty about the future of the profession. With corporations aiming to leverage AI’s power, the actual nature of software development is in flux, prompting existential reflections among programmers on how to adapt to this new reality where "Just-In-Time Software" models could supersede conventional coding methodologies.