Graduating in 2030: Is learning C worth it? Honestly?

The graduating class of 2030 is looming, and it brings an important question: will manual coding skills like writing C code and conducting code reviews remain relevant in a world where artificial intelligence is rapidly improving at these tasks? Students are questioning whether it's worth spending years mastering these skills if AI is expected to outperform humans at coding and review.

Sylwia Laskowska's article points out that AI is already writing code better than most software developers and will only become more advanced over the next few years. Many developers agree that AI's capabilities are already significant, and it's likely to become even more powerful in the coming years.

The author of this piece has been learning ESP-IDF, a C-based framework for programming microcontrollers. However, they find the learning curve for C to be steep compared to web development languages. This steep learning curve combined with the need to manually review AI-generated code makes the author question the value of investing time in mastering C when AI can do it more efficiently.

As AI continues to advance, many developers are shifting towards higher-level tasks, making manual coding less common. Some even claim they no longer review AI-generated code, suggesting that code review might become a thing of the past. The author wonders if spending years mastering C syntax is worth it when AI could potentially do the job better and faster.

The question remains: should the author stop focusing on learning C programming and syntax, or is there a different skill set they should prioritize? Time will tell as the workforce evolves with AI's growing influence.