13 Insider Questions with Python’s Creator: Origins, AI, Web, and Future

1. How was Python created?

After graduating with a master’s degree from the University of Amsterdam, Guishu joined the CWI research lab working on the ABC language, which was discontinued due to lack of users. He then moved to the Amoeba distributed operating system project, where he found C inconvenient for scripting. Given freedom by his project leader, he spent three months after Christmas developing a new language, which his colleagues embraced and became Python.

As the team increasingly used Python, Guishu decided to open‑source it on Usenet, where it quickly gained popularity.

2. Did you anticipate Python’s widespread use in AI?

No. At the time of Python’s creation, AI was not a focus; the field had many unfulfilled predictions in the 1960s‑70s, leading many to doubt its future. Python was intended as a versatile tool language.

3. Will built‑in functions be updated in 2021?

Guishu highlighted common built‑ins such as lambda, map, filter and reduce. He suggested removing reduce, though some users opposed the change.

4. Python’s role in web and mobile development

Python is popular for backend development and data science (e.g., Dropbox’s servers). Front‑end development relies on JavaScript; attempts to use Python for front‑end have faced compatibility issues. For mobile, Python can run on desktop or server environments, but resource consumption makes it less suitable for Android or iOS.

5. Opinions on newer languages (Rust, TypeScript, Go, Julia)

He appreciates Rust for its memory‑management advantages over C++. He finds Go “the most Pythonic” of the new languages. He notes that Julia shares syntax with Python but has limited web‑development use. TypeScript solves problems Python cannot, and his team is exploring TypeScript ideas to extend Python.

6. Should Python be taught before other languages?

Absolutely. Studies show many schools now use Python as the first programming language, especially for AI courses that require Python proficiency.

7. What to focus on when transitioning from Python 2 to Python 3?

The transition is relatively straightforward; many Python 2 scripts run on Python 3 with minimal changes.

8. New ways to install third‑party libraries?

While pip remains common, it is not the only method. Creating isolated virtual environments for each project helps avoid “DLL hell”.

9. Why is the language named “Python”?

Guishu is a big fan of Monty Python, the British comedy troupe, and chose the name from that pop‑culture reference.

10. Will Python support quantum computing?

He is unsure of Python’s role in quantum computing, but notes that Microsoft offers a Python‑based library claiming quantum‑accelerated capabilities.

11. What are your responsibilities at Microsoft?

After leaving Dropbox, he returned to programming, focusing on Python improvements, collaborating with machine‑learning engineers, and contributing to Python’s performance enhancements (e.g., Python 3.10 beta, upcoming 3.11).

12. When will Python 4 be released?

Python 4 is still a distant prospect; the focus remains on iterative releases of Python 3 (3.10, 3.11, 3.12) and potential internal changes such as garbage‑collector and GIL improvements.

13. Personal hobbies

He enjoys reading sci‑fi novels, cycling, and spending time with his family.