When Everyone Can Code, Are Programmers Still Special?
The Rapid Rise of AI
A year ago, I barely understood AI. Now in 2025, it's everywhereâand it's having a moment. It's become part of everyday life for regular people, from generating images and videos to editing text, and even more complex agentic AI systems.
AI helps organize data, handles complex paperwork, and has already replaced many white-collar jobs that humans used to do.
More importantly, AI has pulled back the curtain on coding. Regular people who don't know how to program can now get coding tasks done through AI. This shift has sparked heated debates between two groups: tech-savvy programmers and non-technical users who've already discovered how AI can boost their productivity.
Even within tech circles, attitudes toward AI vary wildly. Some embrace it fully, others are cautiously watching to see its limits, and still others dismiss it as overhypedâbelieving it could never replace real programmers. Humans have never been good at predicting the future, because once you can see tomorrow coming, it's not really a prediction anymore.
AI Revolution Meets History
Some people compare this AI revolution to the information revolutionâanother major social transformation.
Think back to the Industrial Revolution. When textile machines appeared, they replaced countless textile workers, creating serious social tensions. Workers whose livelihoods were threatened smashed machines and attacked factory owners. History knows this as the "Luddite movement."
Today, AI's coding abilities are sparking similar heated discussions. History doesn't repeat exactly, but it often rhymes in recognizable patterns.
The Programmer Mindset
Faced with AI coding tools, programmers who feel threatened might experience several different reactions:
- AI coding tools have lowered the programming barrier, making coding less mysterious. It's like when Word made typing no longer a professional skill.
- When barriers drop and everyone can code, people who invested years learning programming feel their "craftsperson" identity under threat.
- This raises the question: "Am I still special?" When scarcity disappears and exclusive advantages vanish, it's like driving shifting from professional skill to everyday ability.
- When programmers feel their years of hard work devalued by AI tools, they experience a sense of territorial invasionâlike outsiders storming into their domain.
The programming industry has skill hierarchies: from beginners to advanced developers to comprehensive experts. If newcomers using AI can do the same work as seasoned professionals, that superiority complex crumbles, leading to frustration that manifests as attacks, mockery, and put-downs.
Change Brings Opportunity
This is actually a psychological defense mechanism triggered by technological change. But dwelling on emotions doesn't add much value, because what the world needs is outputâvaluable products and services for others.
For programmers feeling lost or threatened, this is actually the best of times. Programmers already have a head start and can leverage these tools faster.
While regular people are still learning how to install tools, programmers can already use them for complex tasks. Like operating textile machines, you still need someone who knows how to control the tools to get maximum value. Programmers naturally have this ability, while regular people are still learning.
A Win-Win Future
Whether you're a programmer or regular user, if AI tools can boost everyone's efficiencyâfreeing people from boring, meaningless work to spend more time creating valueâisn't that a win-win?
Think about what happened with typewriters. When they appeared, typists' roles changed. When word processors became common, more people learned to type. Today, almost everyone who works knows how to type.
Sure, professional typists aren't in high demand like before, but the social change was positive. Once people learned to type, they could create more contentâmore people could write, record, and communicate. Isn't that a better way to live?
Key Insights
Technological change is never a zero-sum game. When AI tools make programming easier, society's overall creative capacity increases. Programmers won't become less specialâthey'll create value at higher levels.
History shows us that every technological revolution eliminates some jobs while creating many new opportunities. The key is adapting to change and embracing tools, not resisting progress.
Remember: In times of change, the biggest risk isn't changingâit's not changing.