Revisiting Vikram Chandra’s Ode to the Art of Human Coding in the Age of AI

Twelve years ago, Vikram Chandra's Geek Sublime: The Beauty of Code, The Code of Beauty was released. This may seem like a short span in terms of actual history, but in technology, it represents an eternity. In Geek Sublime, Chandra drew upon his experience as both an author of prose and code to investigate the convergence of the two.

You might not initially see a connection between the two, but after reading it, the argument for elegance and beauty in both worlds became convincing. Chandra's book received the National Book Critics Award for Criticism, with Anne Trubek praising its "subtle and revelatory scope."

Geek Sublime is not far removed from its counterpart in 2026, but the world of coding has undergone seismic changes. Vibe coding, using AI to generate code for online projects, has become widespread, with both positive and negative consequences. A WIRED headline read, "Vibe Coding Is the New Open Source—in the Worst Way Possible."

Tobias Carroll recently exchanged emails with Chandra to discuss the impact of AI on coding. Chandra remains concerned about the aesthetics of code, even as he acknowledges the changes in the tech world. He believes the principles outlined in Geek Sublime remain crucial, but the challenge lies in getting AI agents to write elegant code.

He has only used AI to write small scripts with strict instructions, and while it seems to work, large-scale AI-written codebases often result in spaghetti code if not carefully monitored. Chandra's friend, who earns a steady income by reviewing and fixing sloppily written AI code, emphasizes the need for human oversight.

Carroll inquires about Chandra's thoughts on writing a follow-up volume to Geek Sublime, but Chandra hesitates, stating that the rapid pace of change makes it difficult to predict what's next. He acknowledges that software has been used to write software for decades, but the current acceleration has left him dizzy. Despite this, he has found AI agents to be highly useful for historical research and researching, using prompts to avoid hallucinations and cross-checking the models' information.

Chandra also uses AI to speed up and deepen his research, finding it invaluable for finding relevant information. He acknowledges that while software has been used to write software for decades, the current acceleration in AI capabilities has surpassed any previous advancements he's witnessed.