In 1985, computer scientist Peter Naur wrote a prescient essay called Programming as Theory Building that remains relevant today. The central thesis is that a program is not its source code; instead, its about building a shared mental model of how a system works. With the rise of reflexive AI usage and domain-blind code generation, the industry is facing a theory-loss crisis. Junior developers are often reliant on AI-generated solutions without truly understanding the underlying principles, leading to codebases that lack coherence and integrity. Senior developers, with their depth of experience and ability to build and maintain complex theoretical frameworks, are more valuable than ever in navigating this crisis and ensuring the long-term success of software systems.
