It has been a while since tech leaders have cautioned developers about AI taking over the task of writing codes. Now Ryan Dahl, the renowned creator of Node.js — a groundbreaking JavaScript runtime that revolutionised server-side development since its launch in 2009 — has made a bold proclamation that the era of humans manually writing code is officially over. In a widely shared post on X (formerly Twitter), Dahl stated that while software engineers (SWEs) will continue to have important roles, the direct act of writing syntax line by line is no longer the core task.
Dahl, who also founded Deno (a secure runtime addressing Node.js limitations), wrote, “This has been said a thousand times before, but allow me to add my own voice: the era of humans writing code is over. Disturbing for those of us who identify as SWEs, but no less true. That’s not to say SWEs don’t have work to do, but writing syntax directly is not it.”
AI already writing major code at most coding firms
In April 2025, Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that well over 30% of code at Google is now written by AI. Similarly, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reported that 30% of code at Microsoft is AI-generated. An Anthropic lead engineer noted in May 2025 that 80% of Claude Code’s own codebase is written by Claude Code itself, with Boris Cherny (creator of Claude Code) stating he hadn’t written any committed code in over a month — all handled by the AI tool.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicted in March 2025 that AI could handle 90% of coding within three to six months and potentially 100% within a year. Google’s Jeff Dean echoed this in May 2025, suggesting AI could soon perform at the level of a junior developer.
Software engineers to observe role change
Dahl highlighted that software engineering isn’t disappearing — it’s transforming. Instead of typing syntax, engineers will increasingly:
– Review and verify AI-generated code.
– Direct and prompt AI systems effectively.
– Focus on architecture, system design, problem decomposition, and high-level ideation.
– Ensure security, performance, and correctness.
This shift in roles shows historical changes, such as the introduction of compilers, which automated low-level assembly but elevated programmers’ work.
