Programmer’s Day is not just any commemoration: it is celebrated on the 256th day of the year (September 13) as a nod to the binary heart of computing, since that is precisely the maximum number representable in one byte. The date was born in Russia, and in 2009, then‑President Dmitry Medvedev signed the decree that officially recognized it globally.
This year, the celebration comes with an urgent question: what place does the programmer hold today when AI models can already generate, test, and even improve code? That concern, which until recently seemed futuristic, is now tangible, and many fear that AI will replace programmers. However, the reality is very different, because this technology is freeing their time and energy from repetitive tasks, allowing developers to focus on what truly adds value: designing digital solutions, innovating digital products, and solving the most complex business problems.
AI as a Copilot: more efficiency, more strategy
We are undoubtedly facing a silent revolution in code. The arrival of AI is redefining the craft of programming. Until a few years ago, writing code was a much more challenging process: learning a language from scratch, spending hours researching solutions, and creating each line almost as if it were a personal work of art. Today, however, the programmer resembles a modern airplane pilot: still at the helm, but assisted by advanced systems that automate tasks, suggest routes, and make navigation much more efficient than in the days when pilots looked out the window for guidance.
This analogy reflects how AI has become a powerful copilot. It allows work in unfamiliar languages, solving problems faster, and exploring possibilities that once seemed impossible. But with that power also comes responsibility: today it is not enough to automatically accept what a model proposes — the programmer’s role expands to that of a curator of solutions, someone who validates, adjusts, and gives meaning to what AI suggests and integrates it into the overall solution being built.
Faced with this scenario, the programmer must stop being seen as someone who “wrote” software line by line, enduring code marathons and endless tests. Now, supported by tools like GitHub Copilot and advanced models such as Gemini, Claude or OpenAI’s GPT, a constant collaboration between human talent and algorithms is taking shape.
In this sense, I agree with Bill Gates, who insists that AI is a formidable assistant, not a substitute. In his view, programming remains an essential literacy of the 21st century because it defines how data, processes, and decisions are arranged. His phrase sums it up: “Programmers will not be replaced — they will be empowered by AI.”
Various studies have begun measuring AI’s real impact on developer work. One of them is the report Measuring GitHub Copilot’s Impact on Productivity, which shows that, in controlled environments, the use of code assistants can complete tasks up to 50% faster, suggesting a tangible leap in efficiency and productivity. Considering this figure — and that other reports differ on this percentage — at Baufest we project a more reasonable reference range: an average productivity improvement for developers between 20% and 30%.
Intelligent Development, Human Decisions
While AI can become a great ally for programmers, there are at least five key contributions that development professionals today and in the future will continue to provide:
1. Guiding Artificial Intelligence
It’s worth remembering something often overlooked: AI optimizes what we ask it, with the data we provide, and within the limits we set. A poorly phrased prompt accelerates error, and a well‑thought‑out design multiplies positive impact. One of today’s programmer’s differentiators is not memorizing commands, but deciding which AI responses effectively solve the problems they face and accepting them as part of an integrated solution.
2. Creativity in Problem Solving
AI can suggest solutions, but it is human judgment that connects technology to business needs. Programmers bring creativity to find unique and practical paths for challenges that don’t always have an answer “in the data” or “in the pretrained models.”
3. Strategic and Contextual Vision
Code does not exist in a vacuum. Programmers understand the business environment, user experience, and organizational goals, connecting developments to strategic objectives. That integrated perspective is irreplaceable.
4. Professional Judgment
Evaluating AI proposals requires expert judgment that goes beyond verifying technical correctness. It involves assessing coherence with social values, developer experience, and business objectives. This freedom and responsibility to accept, adjust, or discard automated outputs becomes a core pillar of a modern programmer’s work.
5. Leadership and Collaboration in Multidisciplinary Teams
Software development is not just code, but also the integration of people across business, design, product, and technology areas. Programmers collaborate in co‑construction through communication and teamwork, ensuring solutions are created collaboratively.
Artificial Intelligence does not mean the extinction of the programmer’s role — but its expansion.
Although certain tasks are automated, new functions arise such as prompt engineering, model security and evaluation, governance, and AI ethics. In this context, the developer evolves from being merely a writer of code to a decision‑maker, combining technical criteria, business vision, and social responsibility.
Programmer’s Day, then, does not celebrate only technical skill, but also the capacity to decide which problems are worth solving and how to do it with purpose. The competitive advantage now no longer lies only in speed or the number of languages known, but in continuous learning, critical thinking, and responsibility in designing, evaluating, and setting boundaries. AI may dictate the “how,” but the “why” remains in human hands, reaffirming programming as a constantly evolving profession with new opportunities to discover.
By Ariel Bensussán, Solution Architect at Baufest.
