The A.I. Disruption Is Here, and It's Not All Bad

We're entering a new era of software development, and it may bring more opportunities than challenges.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The author discusses the rise of AI-powered coding tools like Claude Code, which allow him to quickly create software projects in his spare time that would have previously cost thousands of dollars. While this disruption is causing upheaval in the tech industry, the author believes it could also empower more people to build the software tools they need, rather than having to rely on expensive professional developers.

Why it matters

The growth of AI-powered coding tools is causing major shifts in the software industry, devaluing traditional software development skills and services. This could lead to job losses, but also open up new opportunities for more people to create their own custom software solutions.

The details

The author describes using AI coding tools like Claude Code to quickly build websites, apps, and other software projects in his spare time, often completing work that would have previously cost thousands of dollars. He notes that this 'vibe coding' is becoming more common, with the AI tools suddenly improving dramatically in recent months. However, this is causing disruption, with software company stocks plummeting as the market anticipates less demand for human developers. The author acknowledges the valid concerns about AI-generated code, but believes the technology will continue to improve and empower more people to create the software tools they need.

  • In November, the author's AI coding tool suddenly got much better.
  • The author has been using the AI coding tool for about a half-hour per day over the past few months.

The players

Andrej Karpathy

An artificial intelligence expert who coined the term 'vibe coding'.

Anthropic

The company behind the Claude Code AI coding tool that the author uses.

OpenAI

The company behind the Codex AI coding tool, which the author says performs about as well as Claude Code.

Google

The company behind the Gemini AI coding tool, which the author says is not far behind the others.

Waymo

Alphabet's self-driving taxi company, which uses 'world models' to simulate physical reality, not just language.

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What they’re saying

“To vibe code is to make software with prompts sent to a specialized chatbot — not coding, but telling — and letting the bot work out the bugs.”

— Andrej Karpathy, AI expert (nytimes.com)

The takeaway

While the rise of AI-powered coding tools is causing disruption in the software industry, it also presents an opportunity for more people to create the custom software solutions they need, rather than having to rely on expensive professional developers. This could lead to greater innovation and empowerment, even as it reshapes the tech job market.