The compiler was supposed to end programming too
An essay reflects on historical prophecies about programming automation, comparing 1954's promises regarding FORTRAN to modern anxieties and potentials surrounding AI software engineering agents in 2031.
Why it matters
Provides historical perspective on the recurring fear that automation and AI will entirely eliminate software engineering.
All articles Article 21 October 2026 15 min read The compiler was supposed to end programming too In 1954, IBM said FORTRAN would virtually eliminate coding and debugging. What the numbers say about AI and software work in 2026, and my guess at a developer's Tuesday in 2031.
It’s 7:40 on a Tuesday morning in 2031, and you haven’t written a line of code yet. You probably won’t today, and that’s fine.
While you slept, four agents worked through the backlog you sorted yesterday afternoon. Three of them finished. Their pull requests are waiting for you, each with the tests it added, a short recording of the feature working, and a note about the parts it wasn’t sure of. The fourth agent stopped at 2:13 a.m. and left you a question instead:
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