Build to Last — Chris Lattner talks with Jeremy Howard

Chris Lattner (creator of LLVM, Swift, and Mojo) and I (Jeremy Howard) discuss why rushing to AI-generated code might be destroying the craftsmanship needed to build software that lasts. When CEOs brag about 10,000 lines of AI code per day, are we racing toward a future where no one understands how anything works? In this conversation, Chris shares hard-won insights from 25 years of building foundational systems that still power most of today's programming languages. We explore the difference between "vibe-coding" (hoping AI will solve your problems) and using AI as a tool to enhance your mastery. Chris reveals specific examples of AI coding gone wrong at his company, why unit tests generated by AI can become technical debt, and how he actually uses AI to get productivity gains without sacrificing understanding. We also discuss Chris's journey from LLVM to Mojo, the parallels between today's AGI hype and the 2017 self-driving car predictions, and how developers can build skills that differentiate them in an AI-saturated market. Whether you're a junior engineer worried about your career or a senior developer trying to navigate the AI tooling landscape, this conversation offers a pragmatic path forward: how to embrace AI while still building software, and a career, that lasts.