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A developer writing about AI-assisted coding argues that the non-deterministic nature of large language model output, long seen as a barrier to reliable software development, is not actually a problem. The author explains that code is simply one possible output among many valid paths to a correct result, and that LLMs function as actors within a system rather than as a replacement for precise, deterministic instructions.
A blogger reflects on how the rise of AI coding assistants like Claude Code, released just over a year ago, has reshaped software engineering. The author says they initially expected to keep pursuing technical writing and open-source coding as personal, intellectually fulfilling pursuits even as AI took over professional coding work, but found that community discourse around the craft has grown shallower and more repetitive, shifting from compilers and type systems to talk of 'prompts' and 'harnesses'.
Margaret Hamilton, who led the team writing onboard flight software for NASA's Apollo lunar missions and helped establish software engineering as a discipline, has died at 90. She worked at MIT from 1959 into the mid-1970s before founding her own software companies, and authored more than 130 publications over her career.
Margaret Hamilton, who coined the term 'software engineering' and led development of NASA's Apollo on-board flight software in the 1960s, has died at age 90. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 and was later depicted as a LEGO minifig in the 'Women of NASA' set alongside astronauts Mae Jemison and Sally Ride.
Margaret Hamilton, who directed the software development team for NASA’s Apollo program at MIT, passed away on September 30 at age 90. She was instrumental in establishing software engineering as a formal discipline and authored over 130 publications. Her work earned her numerous awards, including the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing her role in enabling humans to land on the moon.
A junior software engineer at Criteo describes being encouraged to use AI coding agents for productivity while also being told to keep deep technical understanding. The piece recounts informal research into how AI has changed day-to-day engineering work, including a shift toward code review and cost-aware practices like token management, and observations of senior engineers to identify what skills still define seniority.
A programmer published a personal essay describing growing unease as the industry moves toward 'vibecoding' and AI-assisted architecture design, away from hands-on, detail-oriented coding. The post traces the author's eight-year journey into low-level programming, cycle counting, and writing machine code by hand, and laments that these skills are becoming less valued. The author frames it explicitly as a personal journal entry rather than industry analysis.
A published essay examines why the title 'software engineer' carries more prestige than 'developer,' 'programmer,' or 'coder,' noting that some Canadian provinces legally restrict engineering titles to licensed professionals. The piece traces this perception gap to unclear definitions of engineering itself, citing UNESCO and US National Academies descriptions of engineering as systematic problem-solving using mathematical and scientific knowledge.
A blog post by Simon Späti argues that the real risk from AI-generated code isn't poor quality but that engineers and teams no longer understand why architectural decisions were made. He cites a viral tweet describing a large company where specs, tickets, tests and code are all produced via Claude Code, with staff at every level simply prompting the AI and management pressuring teams to ship faster without reviewing output.
A hiring manager who says they have conducted more than a thousand interviews describes a practice of ending each session by offering the candidate direct, opinionated feedback rather than leaving the exchange one-sided. They ask permission first, then detail both strengths and concerns, and invite other interviewers on the panel to do the same, turning the interview into a two-way conversation.
Engineering leader Sunil Sadasivan writes about re-reading Sunil Pai's essay on senior engineers feeling stuck as their fields evolve. Sadasivan argues that first principles thinking—asking why something is being built and how it helps users—is what separates the best engineers he's managed, regardless of their background. He connects this habit to Pai's advice about prioritizing momentum over fixed outcomes, especially as software development shifts toward agentic AI tools.
A software engineer using the handle v0xium described in a viral X post working 12-13 hour days at an unnamed large company where nearly all coding is done via Anthropic's Claude Code tool. The engineer said staff across seniority levels mostly approve AI-generated code rather than write or debug it themselves, calling the process "soul-sucking" and noting that no one seems to understand the resulting software.