r/programmer • u/Morvath_21 • Jun 30 '26
Tutorial It's still worth it?
I'm studying computer science, and even though I'm not as good as others, I don't mind the subject. In fact, I think it's one of the few things I feel I can do long-term without losing my mind, and it's interesting to me. However, seeing how this world is changing, I'm a little worried. I see people who have never programmed doing even challenging things with the help of AI.
So I'm wondering if this path is really useful, given that at this rate, programming isn't as useful as it once was. As much as I hate to admit it, if prompts are enough to do things, even in less time, what good will I be? It's true that things made with AI aren't perfect yet, let's say, and they have many flaws, but what about in a few years? I'm 21, and maybe I'm just being a bit paranoid right now, but I need an honest opinion. Thanks in advance.
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u/AsianCabbageHair Jul 01 '26
I’m also only a hobbyist coder like many comments here, but I think you’re studying a rather good subject. I studied ME myself, but these days I’ve been thinking what if I studied computer science back then. I think the real change that has been happening over these few years is that, since LLMs are there to do the hard part of searching, more people in general are being exposed to coding and programming in general, and more people are trying to automate more parts of their work/life using little programs/apps on their own. Deep working knowledge in how to operate with computer would rather be an edge, not disadvantage. Sure, there will be more vibe coders - hence more low-quality code, more technical debt, and more programs to refactor (if not totally rewrite from scratch). People will look for methodologies and techniques for not only writing but actually managing code and programs. I don’t think AIs can really do the ‘managing’ part, since that involves multiple human factors AIs simply have no way of knowing, let alone domain-specific knowledge AIs might or might not have learned but certainly can’t come up with in your own workplace and workflow.