I Started To Lose My Ability To Code: Developers Grapple With The Real Cost Of AI Programming Tools
The New Stack, Friday, April 3rd, 2026
AI coding tools like Claude Code and LLMs are transforming software development, reigniting passion for senior programmers while raising concerns about code quality.
Maybe it started in February, when programmer and entrepreneur Paul Ford, 51, wrote a guest essay for The New York Times gushing that 'the A.I. disruption has arrived.' AI coding tools are getting stronger - and so are the hopes and fears of the programmers they're displacing. Online, a messy, real-time reckoning is already underway.
In his essay, Ford applauds the possibilities unlocked by faster, cheaper vibecoding: 'It's fun to see old ideas come to life,' he writes, revisiting long-abandoned projects on the subway.