Is AI about to expose just how mediocre most developers are?
August 22, 2025
Most code is crap, most developers are mediocre. In the age of AI-assisted coding, that’s a problem for them and the industry.Like many people, I’ve been of the belief that AI would not replace developers. I still don’t think it will – at least not directly. What it will do is change the economics of the profession by exposing just how much of it is built on mediocrity.
The uncomfortable truth is that most code is crap, and most developers are mediocre. AI-generated code is crap too, but it often matches – and is arguably better than – what many humans produce. When that level of work can be generated instantly, the market value of mediocrity starts to fall.
Source: Is AI about to expose just how mediocre most developers are? | Rob Bowley
A hot take from Rob Bowley, Who observes that a lot of the code that is written isn’t actually particularly good, and it’s that substandard code where AI-based code generation will make the strongest inroads.
Implications for developers? Write better code.
