Microsoft engineer claims 'typing code is absolutely over', with AI and GitHub Copilot set to transform coding as we know it

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Microsoft dev claims the age of typing code is coming to an endAI agents are increasingly replacing humans when it comes to writing codeBut humans still have a crucial role in verifying outputs, as AI model accuracy still isn't quite there yetMicrosoft engineer David Fowler has claimed "typing code is absolutely over," arguing that traditional developers are quickly becoming obsolete in an AI-first world.Sparking debate in the comments section with views split, the implications of Fowler's X post ultimately imply that developers' roles are evolving, rather than disappearing altogether.Roles are quickly covering supervising and reviewing, with developers prompting AI agents, verifying outputs and finetuning, rather than writing new code from the ground up.Developers aren't obsolete, but their role is undergoing major changesBut AI isn't just writing lines of code anymore – Microsoft-owned GitHub Copilot agentic tools have proven that AI can actually handle much more of the workflow, including building the software, running tests and checking for failures, before the project even gets handed to a human for review.Microsoft is also making its own Aspire development platform increasingly agent-friendly, with version 13.2 introducing support for MCP and an agent-friendly CLI.We already knew in 2025 that as much as 30% of Microsoft code was AI-generated, per CEO Satya Nadella's remarks, but that figure is likely much higher today.Separately, a study by Microsoft's own researchers found that accuracy falls even for frontier models, the longer-running a task becomes. CodeRabbit also found that AI-generated code contains an average of 1.4x more critical issues and 1.7x more major issues than the equivalent human-generated code, with Veracode warning that 45% of AI-generated code contains security flaws despite appearing production-ready.Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!While models will undoubtedly get better as generations progress, mistakes will likely remain a constant throughout, so while Fowler's claim that typing code is over, the role of the human developer certainly isn't. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!