“Thanks for getting us thus far” — I assumed Sam Altman’s tweet about coders was good — then I learn it once more

At first look, Sam Altman’s newest tweet reads like a easy thanks. You then discover the wording and it begins to really feel like one thing else.

See what you suppose:

“I’ve a lot gratitude to individuals who wrote extraordinarily complicated software program character-by-character. It already feels troublesome to recollect how a lot effort it actually took.

Thanks for getting us thus far.”

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Phrases like “Getting us thus far” and “already feels troublesome” sound innocent sufficient, however there’s an unsettling option to learn it: that this level is the second the place writing software program character-by-character is now not essential. That the period these developers helped build is now giving way to something else entirely.

I have so much gratitude to people who wrote extremely complex software character-by-character. It already feels difficult to remember how much effort it really took.Thank you for getting us to this point.March 17, 2026

Altman doubtless meant it as a real notice of appreciation. However like many statements about AI proper now, it carries implications that stretch far past its floor which means.

This is similar CEO who has spoken a couple of future the place intelligence turns into a utility that you simply purchase like electrical energy, and the place the price of coaching AI programs is weighed alongside the price of coaching people.

The course of journey is obvious, and the messaging typically feels extra informal than the results.

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The canary within the coal mine

Coders are very a lot the canary within the coal mine with regards to AI. Not as a result of their jobs are easy, however as a result of they’re structured and logical — briefly, it is the type of factor that AI can do very effectively.

I used to be truly arrange for a profession in coding myself — I did Pc Science at College and did a 12 months placement working as a coder. Nevertheless, that 12 months was sufficient to persuade me it wasn’t what I wished to do for the remainder of my life, so I gave up what was on the time thought-about a ‘protected guess’ and ultimately discovered my method into tech journalism.

Lately studying to code now not looks as if a method right into a protected profession as a result of AI is ready to generate complicated, dependable code from easy textual content prompts, and even take current code and enhance it.

What to learn subsequent

A warning shot

It appears like we’re on the fringe of a transition with coders proper now. I’m left questioning what career is subsequent? We’ve already seen AI coming for artists, writers and designers.

Because of its agentic capability, AI is already threatening extra professions, from net designers to reserving assistants, and just about something that includes determination making.

There’s nothing incorrect with thanking the individuals who constructed the programs driving this variation, however on the identical time, there’s no acknowledgement that these individuals are being changed by AI.

Altman’s tweet would possibly genuinely be a thanks, nevertheless it additionally appears like a marker. We’ve crossed into a brand new part, whether or not everybody is prepared for it or not.

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