Föreningen HOPE - Non-Profit Organization

Some time ago, I wrote an article about the Swedish job market where I briefly discussed whether it's still worth studying IT. This text is a continuation of that thought — but more personal this time.

Over the past few months, I've been teaching programming to a few people. One of them asked a question that stuck with me: "Is there even a point to learning programming anymore? Isn't AI going to take over everything computer-related?"

It was a completely legitimate question. And honestly — I've asked it to myself more times than I'd like to admit.

My own reality

At work, we use AI every day. I can no longer imagine working without it. It helps me write code, debug problems, generate tests, and understand new codebases. It does in minutes what used to take hours.

And yes — it can code. Not a little. It can code much better and faster than I can. It knows more languages, more frameworks, and remembers more syntax details than I ever will.

So why would anyone learn to program now?

The tool is not the creator

Here's what I've realized: AI masters all the tools. But tools don't create anything by themselves.

An AI can write perfect Python. But it doesn't know which function should actually be built. It can generate an entire webpage — but it doesn't know if the design communicates the right feeling. It can optimize an algorithm — but it doesn't understand if the problem was even worth solving.

Programming was never really about writing code. It was about solving problems. Code was just the medium. Now the medium is faster — but the problem solver is still you.

My toolbox has become enormous

This is the perspective shift that changed everything for me: AI hasn't made my profession pointless — it has made my toolbox incredibly better.

Think of it like an architect who can suddenly build models in seconds instead of days. The architect isn't replaced — the architect can just explore more ideas, faster. Creation accelerates. The vision is still human.

I build more now than I ever have. Not less. And I build better. Not because I've become a better coder — but because my tools have become incomprehensibly good.

Why you should still learn to program

Here's what I tell my students:

It trains your brain. Programming is about logical thinking, breaking down problems, and building mental models. That way of thinking is valuable regardless of what tools exist. You're not just learning a language — you're learning a way to reason.
You need to understand in order to steer. AI gives you answers. But if you don't understand the answer — how do you know if it's correct? How do you know if it's secure? How do you know if it solves the right problem? Those who understand the technology use AI as a superpower. Those who don't are entirely at the machine's mercy.
Your role as an engineer isn't to write every line. It never really was. Your role is to understand the whole picture, identify what's wrong, and bridge the gap between "what we have" and "what we need." AI writes the code — you decide what should be written and why.
Nobody can predict the future. Saying "the entire profession will disappear" is a guess. Jobs will change — absolutely. But every technological revolution has created more jobs than it eliminated. The web didn't kill programmers. The cloud didn't kill server administrators. AI won't kill engineers — but it will change what it means to be one.

Learn without AI first

Here's a piece of advice that might sound backwards: when you're learning to program for the first time — do it without AI. Write the code yourself. Feel the frustration. Debug manually. Build understanding from the ground up.

Not because it's the most efficient way to produce code — it isn't. But because it builds the deep understanding that makes you a good engineer with AI later. You can't steer a tool you don't understand.

My answer

So, is it still worth learning to program?

Yes. Not despite AI — but because of AI. Those who understand the technology and can collaborate with these tools will have a superpower that others don't. They'll build faster, think clearer, and solve problems that no machine can formulate on its own.