Will AI Make Programming Languages Obsolete?

If AI writes the code, do programming languages still matter? And what happens to the developers who understand them?

In this episode of The Curious Developer, Jesper Pedersen sits down with technologist, speaker, and author Kevlin Henney to explore how AI is changing software development and why it may reinforce existing programming languages rather than replace them. From C++ and Rust to Python, Lisp, and the pioneering language CLU, they discuss why languages succeed, what LLMs struggle with, and why generating more code is not the same as building better software.

The conversation covers

• Why language rankings reveal less than you might think
• What an ideal programming language for LLMs might look like
• Why going straight from prompts to binaries misses the point
• The difference between carefully engineered AI workflows and blindly trusting generated code
• Why architectural judgment and hands-on understanding still matter
• How AI changes the satisfaction of being a developer

Kevlin also addresses books published under his name that he says he did not write, shares his science-fiction recommendations, and offers a few cautiously worded predictions.

Recorded at NDC TechTown.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:00 Who is Kevlin Henney?

03:45 Language Anthropologist

06:51 What is your favorite programming language?

11:59 TIOBE Index

21:17 LLM and programming languages

26:21 C++ vs Rust for LLM

30:53 What programming languages will we see in the future?

34:37 Specialized programming language for LLMs?

42:01 LLM to solve legacy drag or go faster?

43:51 The role of the future developer

52:50 Modern language features and LLM

59:52 Intrinsic rewards systems when developing software

1:04:10 Books released under Kevlin's name

1:07:39 Books Kevlin actually has written and edited

1:10:43 Science fiction suggestions

1:14:51 A Quiz at the end

About the guest

Kevlin Henney is an independent consultant, speaker, writer, and trainer whose software development interests span programming, practice, and people. He co-authored two volumes in the Pattern-Oriented Software Architecture series, edited 97 Things Every Programmer Should Know, and co-edited 97 Things Every Java Programmer Should Know. He also contributes to the Modern Software Engineering YouTube channel.