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The programming passion is melting

Dev.to / 3/19/2026

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Key Points

  • The author confesses that they no longer enjoy programming as AI agents embedded in IDEs increasingly automate coding tasks.
  • They describe how AI has evolved from basic line suggestions to potentially finishing an entire project with just a few prompts, altering the core craft of software development.
  • The piece argues that this shift threatens the traditional junior/senior engineering distinction and challenges skill development and motivation.
  • They invite readers to share opinions, acknowledging the post takes a negative tone and seeking community discussion.

I have two important things to say:

I don't enjoy programming anymore

Every day, these AI agents get better and better. They are present in nearly every IDE and in all parts of the IDE. It all started with Copilot, which would only suggest a few lines when you left a comment.

I remember turning it off because I wanted to write some code myself, and it was getting in the way. A small part of code completion wouldn't have helped me at all. But things are changing now. It's not just finishing a line anymore; it's finishing a whole project with just a few prompts.

I adopted this technology because I thought I would stay behind in the community, and to some extent I was right, but I don't enjoy programming anymore. We used to get stuck on a problem for hours and then work hard for a long time to figure it out. That made us happy. We always spent a lot of time making games, game engines, and compilers because they were the noble things to do.

But now they're only a few prompts away. You have an idea, a PRD, and a few prompts. That's it. You don't have to write code anymore. And you don't have any fun anymore.

There don't seem to be any juniors or seniors anymore.

Life for software engineers was very different just two or three years ago. We had tools and learned how to use them well. One thing we learned took a lot of time, but it helped us grow as engineers. This is how the idea of Senior and Junior engineers came about.

It seems like new people don't have to spend a lot of time learning how to code. They can just write one prompt and get code like a pro. These AI models are getting better every day, and people who worked hard to improve their skills are being challenged by people who are just starting out. I think that people who spend more time improving their skills over the years are still better engineers and can make better software, even when using AI tools. But does that even matter now?

I know this post went in a negative direction, and I'd like to hear what you think. What do you think?

Thanks for taking the time to read.