Will Programmers Vanish? AI Leaders Debate the Future of Coding

During the New Year special of CCTV's "Dialogue" program, Baidu chairman and CEO Li Yanhong warned that the "programmer" profession might gradually disappear, arguing that future society will no longer be limited to specific skill groups and anyone with basic communication ability could perform programming tasks.

Li summed up his view: "In the future, programming languages will only be two – English and Chinese."

The statement sparked intense debate. 360 Group CEO Zhou Hongyi quickly published a lengthy rebuttal, insisting that the computer and programmer fields will remain vibrant and essential for the next five to ten years.

Zhou presented three main arguments:

1. Software will redefine the world, demanding more computer experts and programmers.

He highlighted that the accelerating digital economy requires programmers, product managers, architects, and other tech professionals to lead digital transformation across industries.

2. The explosion of large AI models will increase demand for programmer talent.

He noted that computer science remains the hardest and most employable major in the United States, and that linear algebra—once overlooked—now underpins parallel computation in large models, creating a massive need for both computing and mathematics talent.

3. Interdisciplinary talent, especially the combination of AI and biology, will drive future breakthroughs.

Zhou argued that advancing toward artificial general intelligence will require understanding the human brain, a challenge that biology must address. He cited Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s call for more bio‑focused research and the growing collaboration between AI and biological scientists.

Netizens also shared their reactions, ranging from bets on the profession’s survival to concerns about AI’s limits in handling human factors.

Technical "dad" asks: "Will programmers disappear within twenty years?"

Commenter notes: "Writing business system code is about influencing users' hearts, something AI can’t master."

Another says: "The 'code farmer' will be phased out."

Someone asks: "Will large models still need programmers?"