When AI Does All the Coding, How Do We Exercise Agency Over Systems?
davidbau · x · 2026-08-06
The Question for Programming Education
We used to advise students to "learn to program" because software shapes the modern world. However, as AI takes over the actual coding, the educational focus must shift.
From Programming to Agency
The author points out that the core challenge in computing has always been "agency": automation is wonderful until it automatically produces unwanted outcomes. Previously, we exercised agency over complex systems by programming them ourselves. In an era where AI handles all coding, we must figure out new ways to maintain human agency and control.
Related event: Scholar David Bau: Human Decision-Making Must Be Ensured in the AI Era(3 posts)→
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