☠️Writing Readable Code Is a Waste of Time

SunGuk
8 replies
I don’t agree with this, but… what if AI tools completely took over the development process? How would the development paradigm change?

Replies

Lily Mae Anderson
I see your point about AI potentially reducing the need for human-readable code in the future. But I think readable code will still be crucial even with AI assistance. Clean, well-structured code helps humans understand the logic, catch edge cases AI may miss, and make high-level architecture decisions. AI can optimize and generate a lot of the code, but humans still need visibility into what's happening under the hood. It'll be a partnership - leveraging AI's efficiency gains while maintaining code quality standards so the codebase doesn't turn into an unmaintainable black box over time. Finding that sweet spot will be key!
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Nha Hyerin
"Interesting perspective, SunGuk! While I believe writing readable code is still essential for long-term maintenance and collaboration, it’s true that AI tools are shifting the development landscape. If AI tools took over, the focus could shift from human-readable code to AI-optimized code that maximizes efficiency and performance. However, even with AI’s assistance, having some level of human-readable code will likely remain important for debugging, troubleshooting, and making strategic decisions. The key could be finding the balance where AI handles the heavy lifting, but humans can still guide and understand the process."
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SunGuk
@nha_hyerin Do you think we’ll ever need to debug?
JinHyeong Kim
Readable code is still crucial, even in an AI-dominated development environment. While AI tools might automate much of the process, humans will still need to understand, review, and maintain the code. If AI fully takes over, the focus might shift from writing code to defining high-level logic and constraints. However, clear and readable code ensures smoother collaboration and easier troubleshooting, making it an essential practice regardless of automation levels.
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SunGuk
I still think it’s important to maintain code that is easy to understand. Would AI understand us faster, or would we understand AI faster?
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Sami M'Colo Mari
Exactly code that al tool can understand
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