One of the biggest debates in software development today is whether large language models (LLMs) will eventually make coding obsolete. With AI-assisted tools generating functional code snippets, debugging, and even optimizing performance, it’s tempting to believe we’re heading toward an era where human developers take a backseat.
Frist let’s take look back over the last 15 years, we witnessed a precipitous decline in the number of code editors and IDEs. Here is a list of the ones I could find.
- Komodo IDE (2021) – Discontinued by ActiveState (open-sourced under the Mozilla Public License)
- Atom (2022) – GitHub sunset Atom due to declining usage.
- Brackets (2021) – Adobe discontinued Brackets, recommending VS Code.
- Light Table (2020) – Abandoned due to lack of funding.
- MonoDevelop (2021) – Microsoft stopped maintaining it.
- NetBeans (2023) – Oracle reduced support, leading to its decline (donated to the Apache Software Foundation)
- Xcode Server (2022) – Apple discontinued it in favor of Xcode Cloud.
- Turbo C++ (2010s) – Once popular, but faded away with modern alternatives.
- SharpDevelop (2017) – Open-source .NET IDE discontinued.
These tools were either replaced by newer technologies, merged into larger projects, or lost relevance due to shifting developer preferences.
Yet, the past two years have seen an explosion of new IDEs and code editors—a contradiction that raises an interesting question: If AI is supposed to remove the need for traditional coding, why are we doubling down on building better environments for writing code? Here are just a few of the newer editors:
Cursor (2023) – AI-powered IDE with chat, edit, generate, and debug features.
Windsurf (2024) – Competes with Cursor, offering deep AI integration.
Trae (2024) – Adaptive AI IDE designed for faster development.
Theia (2017) – An extensible open-source IDE for cloud and desktop.
IDX (2023) – Google's AI-assisted IDE built on VS Code.
Codeium (2024) – AI-driven fork focused on developer productivity.
PearAI (2024) – Open-source fork with chat and inline code generation.
Melty (2024) – Open-source fork with built-in chat and AI-assisted commits.
Firebase Studio (2025) – Google's AI-powered development environment based on VS Code.
Instead of replacing coding, AI-powered IDEs are reshaping how developers interact with code. The expansion of these tools shows we are heading toward a hybrid approach, where AI assists, but developers remain at the center of the process. If you asked me 2 years ago I would assume that the growth opportunity in software services would be ushered in by low or no code scenarios, but now it is evident that coding is way more accessible.
So, while the idea of LLMs making coding obsolete sounds compelling, the reality is quite different. This isn’t about preparing for the end of coding—it’s about embracing the exponential growth of coding itself. The industry isn't winding down; it's scaling up, evolving, and expanding in ways that demand smarter, AI-enhanced tools rather than fewer of them.
