Simon Willison shares a reflection on how AI coding agents are changing the nature of programming work — removing the puzzle-solving enjoyment that many developers found fulfilling. The piece notes that while LLMs benefit those who enjoy building systems regardless of the problem, the loss is real for programmers who thrived on direct problem-solving.
Background
AI coding agents have recently reached a maturity level where they can handle substantial programming tasks autonomously, raising questions about the future role and identity of human programmers.
- Source
- Simon Willison
- Published
- Oct 20, 2026 at 07:58 AM
- Score
- 6.0 / 10