"Coding is solved" misses the point
This article argues that while AI has made writing code easier, it has not 'solved' software engineering. It posits that the real challenge in enterprise software lies in organizational context and complex problem-solving rather than just implementation.
Why it matters
It challenges the prevailing narrative that AI will replace software engineers, emphasizing the enduring value of human oversight and business logic.
Every few weeks, someone declares that coding is solved . If they mean turning a well-specified problem into runnable code, they’re increasingly right. But was writing runnable code ever the whole problem?
Language models have solved software engineering to the extent that word processors solved journalism: they made producing the output easier. Ask one to build a REST API or implement a React component, and work that used to take hours now takes minutes. Remarkable. But organizations need an answer to a harder question. Can AI solve the problems they actually have?
The easiest way to convince yourself that coding is solved is to build a demo app, like a to-do list, a weather app, or a personal dashboard. The requirements are clear, there are hardly any constraints, and you’re free to invent the architecture as you go. You build on a blank canvas.
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