Interview: Clive Thompson on Coders, AI Coding, and the Future of Software

In this interview, journalist and author Clive Thompson discusses his book Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World, the rise of AI coding tools, and how software is reshaping modern life. We explore how programmers influence the systems we use every day -- from social media feeds to email -- and how their assumptions and decisions shape user behavior in subtle but powerful ways. Clive also shares how generative AI is changing software development, making it easier for anyone to build tools and applications. In this episode, we cover: • How AI is transforming programming and developer workflows • Why non-coders can now build real software • How software quietly shapes human behavior • What makes a great coder • What students should focus on in the age of AI 00:00 Introduction 01:02 Meet Clive Thompson 03:07 Why He Wrote Coders 12:06 When Software Became Central to Everyday Life 15:35 AI Coding and Developer Workflows 27:13 Anyone Can Build Software 33:46 How Software Shapes Behavior 41:56 Inside the Mind of a Coder 57:09 The Future of Programming with AI 01:08:07 What Students Should Focus On ________________________ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗲 • LinkedIn:   / brandonkrakowsky   • Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative: https://ai-analytics.wharton.upenn.edu 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 • Interviews:    • Learn the Technology: Interviews   • How To Videos:    • Learn the Technology: How To Videos   • Spotify: https://bit.ly/47JxADO 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗠𝗲 • Instagram:   / learnthetechnologywithbk   • TikTok:   / learnthetechnologywithbk   • X (Twitter): https://x.com/LearnTechWBK • GitHub: https://github.com/learnthetechnology... 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗮 • Intro to Programming with Python and Java: https://www.coursera.org/specializati... • How to Use Data: https://www.coursera.org/specializati...